Of Death and Crows
by ShadeSpirit
Summary: At least once a week, Demae would take lunch to the strange, redheaded man who lived on the top of the hill. Never once did she think that because of this man, she would be forced to face things she wished had remained in darkened obscurity.
1. An Odd Summons

Ok, Shade here with a new story. Yes, I know I haven't updated any of my others. I suppose its just because I have no inspiration with them. Well, anyway, I got done reading a good book called Eyes of Crow by Jeri Smith-Ready and the idea for the story bit me in the ass. The majority of this story has come from the book, so I don't claim to own Kalindos, Asermos, or the idea of the Spirit Guide. Now, I hope I have explained things well enough, and if I haven't, just tell me in a review so the next chapter can be better.

**Disclaimer:** This will only be said _once_. I do not own YYH or any of the characters. Nor do I own the cities or the idea of spiri guides from the Eyes of Crow book. However, I do own Demae, Nikoli, and any of the other OCs that appear in the story.

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Demae rocked back on her heels, wiping the light sheen of sweat from her brow as she squinted up at the sun. From what she could see, she had been working in her little vegetable garden for about two hours. Standing up with a sigh, she stretched before brushing the dirt off of the front of her skirt. Demae made a face when she noticed the fabric had stained. Good thing it wasn't a new dress. Oh well, all it meant was she now had a dress specifically for garden work.

Hearing a call from her mother, Demae put her things into her basket and hurried towards the house. Leaving the basket on the steps, she walked inside. It was a small house, built for no more than three people. The bottom floor had the kitchen and a small dining area, as well as a couch where she slept. Near the edge of the room was a small ledge that had a cubby where Demae's parents slept, a ladder nailed in place so her mother and father could easily reach it.

Out back are a small barn and a hayloft where they kept their few horses and ponies. Demae's parents were farmers, like many of her town's inhabitants. There were a few families who specifically raised animals, likes horses, or crafted things, but most were agriculturally oriented.

Looking around, Demae spotted her mother in the kitchen. "Yes, mama?" she asked as she trotted over.

The woman looked up, blue eyes smiling as she watched her daughter. Despite her age, Demae's mother was still slender and strong, even after having three children. She had wavy auburn hair with streaks of gray at her temples. Around her throat hung a swan's feather, showing her animal guide. Demae's mother was a swan, which meant that the spirit guide Swan watched over her and had blessed her with the ability to interpret dreams. She was still only a second phase swan, since her older children had yet to become parents of their own.

In Demae's world, everyone belonged to an animal; everyone except the Descendants, who had abandoned spirits for gods fashioned in their own image. When that happened, the spirits had taken away the magic from the Descendants. For everyone else, there were three stages. Demae was in her first stage, which meant her powers had emerged. To proceed to the second stage, you had to become a parent. However, if you became a parent before you had completed your first stage training, the guides could severely punish you. To reach the third stage, you had to become a grandparent. Each stage required extra training.

"Demae, I made you lunch. Also, I need you to take the lunch I packed to Kurama."

Nodding, Demae moved to the table where her own lunch was set out. She ate quickly, but neatly, and had soon grabbed the packed lunch and hurried out the door.

This was a normal occurrence for her. At least once a week, Demae would take lunch to the strange man who lived on the top of the hill. Her mother told her he had simply just appeared one day over twenty-five years ago. He hadn't known where he was and he was nothing like them. He had strange abilities but didn't have a spirit guide. However, he settled into the community quite well and even took a wife. His only son now lives in the large town of Kalindos. Demae's own town, Asermos, knew hardly anything about the mysterious town. At the most, they only knew rumors, and unflattering ones at that.

Reaching the top of the hill, Demae pushed open the gate and walked down the small stone path that wound through the vibrant garden that surround the house. The house was small and homey, but nothing like the normal houses that could be found in the town. Kurama had designed it himself. Maybe it was made like the homes where he came from? Well, she supposed she would never know, since her mother had said he was unwilling to speak of his home.

Taking a deep breath, Demae knocked lightly on the door and waited, belatedly realizing she had forgotten to change into a clean dress. The door was opened and the tall man looked out at her, emerald eyes full of amusement as he looked her over. According to her mother, Kurama looked as young now as he did when he arrived. Neither gray hair nor wrinkle marred him and so it was hard to judge his age.

"Hello, Demae. I was wondering when I would get to see you this week." His voice was kind as he ushered her inside. Kurama closed the door behind her and gently plucked the basket from her fingers, leading her to the dining room. "So, how is your mother doing?" he asked as he unpacked the basket.

Demae jerked her attention away from the odd decorations of the house and focused on Kurama. "Oh, she's fine. Still offering to read your dreams and still wanting you to remarry."

Kurama chuckled but said nothing as he handed he basket back to her. "Tell her I said hello when you get back, Demae." The angelic man escorted her out and stayed at the door until she was out of his garden and on her way home.

Frowning, Demae mulled over things in her mind. Her mother was always worried about Kurama. He had always had awful nightmares, but he would never tell a soul what it was that frightened him so. To Demae's limited knowledge, Kurama still had them. Maybe his current ones were about his wife? She had died ten years ago. Since then, he had lived with his son, and then alone once his son left for Kalindos for his spirit training. There was many a woman here wishing he would choose to remarry. And Demae could agree. He was very handsome, but he had to be over 40, even if he didn't look it.

As she headed to her house, she frowned. Something wasn't right. Picking up her pace, she reached her home and bounded up the stairs and inside, only to stop in her tracks. Her mother and father were sitting with the town's leader, a third stage hawk. The man looked grave as he leveled his warm brown eyes at her.

"What? What is it?" she asked as she set down the basket and hurried over.

"You are being called to Kalindos."

Demae frowned. Why? Had there been a death? Kalindos had their own Crow woman, so why was she needed?

Seeing her confused expression, the chief explained. "They have a spirit who is lingering."

Demae shook her head. "I'm not second stage. I can't yet speak with the departed." As a Crow woman, Demae was the one who comforted people as the spirit Crow took their spirits as they died. Without her, their death would be cold and terrifying. However, she could only begin to speak with the dead after she had reached her second stage.

"No, no, you misunderstand. The spirit is asking to talk with you. He refuses to speak with anyone else."

After his announcement, there was silence from Demae. To say this was unusual would be a gross understatement. When Demae didn't speak, the leader continued.

"They will be sending a guide to take you to Kalindos. He should be here tomorrow. You have the rest of the day to prepare." He stood, nodding to both of Demae's parents as he left the house. Once he was gone, Demae turned to her parents.

"He spoke truth?" she asked.

Her father nodded. He was an Owl, and everyone knew that owls would easily detect lies. "He received a psychic message from Kalindos' third rank hawk elder not even half an hour past."

Sighing, Demae nodded and stood. "I suppose I should go pack then." She walked to her dresser and began to pull out clothes. None of them were dresses, since it was common knowledge that Kalindans lived in the treetops. Climbing up a ladder in a skirt would be mortifying. After her things were packed, she went to sit with her parents for dinner. Her older sisters were also present, wanting to say goodbye since they wouldn't be able to come in the morning. It was a somber event and left Demae testy when she went to bed that night, full of foreboding.

In the morning, Demae could already tell that it would be a bad day. Her head was throbbing, prompting her to stumble to their collection of medical supplies to find something to dampen the pain. She washed and dressed, drying her hair in front of the mirror. For a moment, she paused and looked herself over. She was the very image of her mother, with her long, wavy auburn hair and blue eyes. She had her mother's facial structure, yet had her father's height. She tended to tower over most of the women in Asermos, and even some of the men. Snorting, she turned away from the mirror and braided her wet hair before going to eat the breakfast her mother had laid out for her.

In the middle of it, there came a knock at the door. As Demae hurried to finish eating, her father answered the door. The man who walked in made Demae do a double-take. The man who was now in the living room was the very image of Kurama. Well, not necessarily in the exact image. As Demae studied him closer, differences began popping out at her. His eyes were more blue than green and his hair was long and straight, not slightly curly as Kurama's was. He was also more muscular and nowhere near as feminine.

She immediately recognized him as Kurama's son.

After oogling him for a few more moments, she went back to eating as the guest waited at the door. Demae could feel those blue-green eyes staring at her back, and it took extra effort not to back her shoulders scrunch up. When she was done eating, she hopped out of the chair and grabbed her pack, striding over. "Hello, Nikoli. Haven't seen you in a while." She commented, greeting the man. When he nodded politely in return, she hurriedly compared him to the boy she had known before he had left. He was taller than her again by an inch or two; when he had left for Kalindos, he had been quite a few inches shorter than she, and the thought still made her smile past her headache.

Once she had said goodbye to her parents, the two of them left, walking towards Nikoli's horse. Demae's had been saddled already, probably by her father, and was tacked beside Nikoli's. As she shrugged into her pack straps, Nikoli caught her attention. "Demae, do you mind if we stop by my father's home? I haven't been there yet, and I'd like to see him before we go."

Demae gave him an appraising look. From the earnest way he was waiting for her reply, he was hoping she'd agree. It also let her know he was still horribly polite, which annoyed her. Well, he was only polite because he was shy. Hopefully, in their short trip, she might be able to get him to be comfortable around her again. Taking a deep breath, she nodded slightly. "Sure, I don't mind. I'd like to say good bye to him too just so he knows not to expect me to bring him lunch for a few days." She finally answered pleasantly. Smiling happily, the red head jumped on his horse. Rolling her eyes at his boyish behavior, she climbed up on her own before following Nikoli up the path that led to Kurama's home.

However, when the two reached the crest of the hill, they saw Kurama tying a pack to a horse's saddle. When the man heard them coming, he twisted his head to glance at them and smile before finishing what he was doing and mounting the horse. He then rode down to meet them, returning their puzzled expressions with a small smile. "I knew you were coming. And something tells me I need to go with you." He said, forestalling any questions the pair might have had.

As the trio began making their way down the hill and into the forest the surrounded the town, Demae observed the two males before her under lowered lashes. How could have Kurama known they were coming? Her mother had always told her Kurama had strange abilities. Maybe sensing people was one of them. But how could he have known they were leaving? The mystery was perplexing, and for most of the day she spent her idle time chewing on the problem. But by the time they stopped to make camp, Demae still had not discovered the answer. Putting the problem away for later thought, she began to unpack the ingredients for dinner while Nikoli started the fire and Kurama took care of the horses.

The fire was quickly lit, the soup started, and the horses taken care of, so the trio found themselves simply lazing around the campfire. After a moment, a thought struck Demae, making her look up sharply at Nikoli, who was talking quietly with his father. "Hey, Nikoli, what is your spirit guide?" she asked, toying with the crow talon that hung around her neck. Everyone in her village wore something on them that signified what the wearer's animal was. However, the Kalindons never had anything like that. Demae had heard it was because the town was a lot smaller where everyone knew everyone else. That was not the case was Asermos, which was the size of a city.

Nikoli eyed her for a moment before replying. "The Fox." He said softly, almost nervously, as he waited for her reaction.

After the announcement of Nikoli's guide, Demae noticed Kurama didn't look the least bit surprised. She was suspicious of that, but then wrote it off on the assumption that Nikoli had already told him. Once she had dealt with that, Demae went over all she knew of foxes. She had always heard the adage, "Never trust a Fox." They were cunning tricksters with silver tongues. If you weren't careful, a fox could easily enchant you with its charming words. They didn't usually lie outright, but they were famous for they're half-truths. Also, in their third stage, Demae knew they could shape-shift into the form of a fox. However, Nikoli didn't seem very tricky or charming, and he was her friend, so she simply smiled and nodded at him. He relaxed after that, never noticing the wary look that had entered Demae's eyes.

Never trust a Fox.

The group got an early start in the morning, eating cold soup and drinking spring water. The camp-site was quickly dismantled and the trio was soon on their way. Nikoli promised they would be in Kalindos by late morning. To pass the time, Demae began to sing softly. Now, Demae had never prided herself on her singing voice, but she felt her alto was pleasant enough to pass singing.

_Home and hearth, lead me on,  
Lead me somewhere I belong;  
__A home with family, loving and bright,  
__A friendly fire, with warmth and light._

_Home and hearth, show me the way,  
__The way to a safe place I can stay  
__To laugh, to sing, to play, to dance,  
__To give blooming love a chance._

_Home and hearth, is it true?  
__Is it true that it is my due  
__To have such things as family and friends  
__Given to me until my days are at an end?_

Demae ends the song as the town comes into view, noting Nikoli and Kurama's disappointed expressions. Hmm, was her voice that pleasing to their ears? She didn't know, and at the moment she didn't care. She was too busy staring at the homes that littered the trees, tall, spindly leading up into the branches. There was a deck of sorts surrounding each house and small bridges spanning the trees so that you can easily get around without having to resort to climbing up and down ladders all day. There were some buildings on the ground, but none of them looked like people lived in them.

Their presence in the town was noted almost immediately and a few people came out to take their horses. Following them was an older woman. She was short, with wispy strands of blond and grey hair escaping her braid. Her brown eyes were lined with crow's feet and at the moment were narrowed with slight concern. "Oh! Demae! Thank goodness you have arrived. This spirit is quite disruptive and needs to be taken care of quickly. I'm not sure how, but a few people have already been injured by him." She said, voice somewhat urgent.

Demae frowned. Spirits couldn't hurt people. This was definitely now way beyond unusual. Worried, she quickly followed Kalindos' Crow woman, Nikoli and Kurama silently trailing behind them, all but forgotten by Demae. The space she was led to was blocked off, which confused Demae. Surely the spirit could leave it? Seeing the young woman's puzzled expression, the unnamed woman elaborated. "For some reason, the spirit cannot move beyond this point, which we are thankful for. So we have roped the area off to keep anyone else from becoming injured."

Nodding, Demae focused her attention on what was in the circle. The spirit was nothing like she had ever seen before. Demae was about to speak with the spirit, but then Kurama beat her to it. The man gasped, then shouted, "Hiei?!"

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Please review! 


	2. Ravens, Foxes, and Psychotic Spirits

Yay! Numero dos is out! I think I did a good job on this chapter, except I'm not sure if I spelled Nigenkai right. I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me if that is the correct spelling or not. If you're looking for a disclaimer, its in the first chapter.

Enjoy!

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"Hiei?" Demae repeated, looking over at Kurama. Seeing him staring raptly at the spirit, the young Crow woman looked back to the named spirit. The young man was short, though his hair certainly made up for it. Just how did he get it to stand up like that? Shaking her head, she continued on with her study. It was the eyes he had that made him almost unbelievable. No one had eyes of blood.

_Hello, Fox._

Fox? Demae gave Kurama a look, but it was obvious the man had not heard Hiei. The spirit seemed to realize this, because a scowl crossed his face, which was soon directed at Demae. She almost took a step back at the fierceness of the expression, but somehow managed to hold still with only a small quiver.

_Can you hear me, girl?_

Demae nodded. "I shouldn't, but yes."

Hiei seemed to consider her for a moment, arms crossed, his red eyes still narrowed. _Fine. We need to get away from here. Head back towards the forest, take Kurama and his kit with you. I will meet you there. Let _no one _follow you. This is not for outsider ears._

Swallowing, Demae nodded and scurried back towards Kurama and Nikoli as Hiei suddenly disappeared. At Kurama's expectant expression, she sighed slightly. "He said to go into the forest. He will speak with us there." She explained before walking past them and to Kalindos' Crow Woman. "I must speak with the spirit alone. Let no one follow me." At the woman's nod, Demae made her way back into the forest, knowing her two traveling partners were only a step behind her. She wasn't quite sure where to go, but when Hiei flickered into existence, she figured this was the right place, and it even had a few conveniently placed logs for their comfort scattered around. Demae took full advantage, sitting down and crossing her legs, looking at Hiei expectantly as Kurama and Nikoli made themselves comfortable.

_I need you to tell Kurama one thing. Tell him that it is time._

Before Demae could ask anymore questions, Hiei disappeared again. Frowning in confusion, Demae looked at Kurama, expecting to see surprise as well. However, he looked as if he had expected it. Well, maybe he had. Nikoli just looked confused. He obviously had no idea what was going on, and it didn't help that he was the only one out of the three of them who could not see Hiei. That thought led Demae to wonder exactly how Kurama could see Hiei, making her curiosity about the man grow.

"Well?"

The question brought Demae from her thoughts. She looked over at Kurama to see him waiting for whatever it was she had to tell him. "It is time."

"You're sure?"

Annoyance crossed Demae's features. "You ask that question like I'm supposed to know. He said 'It is time.' and then left before I could get anything else out of him. So I guess you're the judge of that."

Nodding, Kurama chewed on his bottom lip, green eyes distant. Finally, after a moment, he focused his gaze back on Demae. "What Hiei meant was that it was time to finally reveal why I am here. And for that, I suppose I will need to start at the beginning. Bear with me, for I have never considered myself a great story-teller." He said, giving both Demae and Nikoli a look.

"Now, you both know I don't originate from this land." At their nods, he continued. "I come from a place called Nigenkai, which is the Human World. However, I am not totally human. I have the soul of the fox demon Youko Kurama within me. This allows me to have abilities no normal mortal would have, not even the abilities of your kind, Demae. Because of this, I am in the employ of Prince Koenma Jr., who runs all of Rekai, which is Spirit World. He is the one who makes sure that the inhabitants of Makai, which is the Demon World, don't cross over into Nigenkai.

"Now, about 26 years ago, it was brought to his attention that the caretaker of your world is dying, and that a replacement would soon be born. This caretaker is always aligned with the Spirit Guide Raven and is almost never known to any of your people."

At this point, Demae had to intervene. "That's impossible! Everyone knows that raven chooses no one! Raven is the Creator of the World, the Bringer of Light, the Spirit Above All Others. She never chooses anyone because that one person would be all too powerful. She is no one's because her love belongs to all. It will upset the balance of everything!"

Kurama chuckled lightly. "Yes, but isn't it always said that in extraordinary times when the survival of humans are at stake that the Raven will choose her avatar so that they can go anywhere, inhabit any time, just to save you all?"

Demae frowned. "Well, I suppose…but it hasn't happened as long as anyone can remember. So how can there already be a Raven?"

"It will be explained later. But may I please continue with my story?"

Demae's frown deepened, but she nodded anyway.

"Thank you. Now, this replacement would need to be found and trained, because a threat to your world is hovering on the horizon. There is a powerful demon lord in Makai who had accidentally stumbled upon your world in his dimension hopping. Being the greedy creature he is, he plans to take it over and will use the Descendants to do his work for him. Koenma quickly located the new Raven, who had yet to be born, and picked me to be the Raven's guardian of a sort. So I was sent here, where I was to blend in with the people until I could find the Raven. Once the Raven matured, I was to take it back to my world for training. And Demae…that Raven is you."

Demae fainted dead away, the last words she heard being, "Hmm, I expected a worse reaction than that."

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_Fog hung everywhere. Why couldn't she see? Demae slogged through the thick stuff, breathing in the moisture-thick air. It was like breathing in water, and had here coughing to expel the liquid from her lungs. The thin dress she had on was completely soaked, as was her hair, and she began to shiver, smoothing the wet ropes of hair away from her face. She stopped walking for a moment to think over her situation. Kurama had just told her that story…and that's all it could be. There was no way it was true. _

"_Yes, it's a lie." She said aloud to reassure herself. _

"_Deeeeniaaal!" said a sing-song male voice behind her._

_Spinning around, Demae came face to face with the shiny black eyes of Crow. The large, black bird was sitting to the side, head tilted so to see Demae better. "Oh, Crow, you don't know how happy I am to see you. You sure have heard the nonsense Kurama was spouting off and-"_

"_It's not nonsense, little one. He spoke truth."_

_Demae frowned, confused. "But at my bestowing, you were the one who came to me. Raven showed you to me, as She did everyone. She never claimed me!"_

_Crow shook his head. "Nay, little one. She did. Everyone belongs to Crow, but She only has one Avatar. And the Raven's avatar contains all the gifts of the spirits. I was just the one who took an interest in you. Any of the Guides could have taken you for their own."_

_Demae looked away, afraid. "But Crow…" _

_Crow was gone._

_Frantic, Demae looked wildly about, but only saw the thick fog. "Crow! Crow, please come back! Don't leave me here!" she shouted, moving quickly through the fog, totally lost. _

"_Child, do not be afraid."_

_Demae halted, calm immediately washing over her. She remembered that voice. How could she not? It was the stars flicking in the sky, the pulse of the sun's rays, the wind that shifted the sands of the moon. Turning towards the voice, she once again beheld the Raven for the first time since her Bestowing. It was a large Raven, luminous and iridescent, each feather containing every color as it had at the moment of the world's birth. _

"_Child, you are mine. Why do you fear so?" At Raven's words, the fog seemed to clear instantly, billowing away from the pair to reveal and calm and quiet field, the sun hazy in the forget-me-not blue sky. A lazy wind blew around them, laughing gaily in Demae's ears. Flowers bloomed around Raven, their natural perfume only adding to the perfection of the scene. _

"_Crow left me, Mother." Demae whispered._

"_No, no, sweet Child. Crow will always be with you, as will all the other Spirits. You are mine, and all will answer your call. You will never be alone again, and I am but a thought away. You must leave with Kurama when he goes. He and his friends will help you learn to use your abilities and help your world." _

_Seeing that Demae was trembling, Raven held out one wing. "Come, Child. This is a shock to you, but all will be well." As if in a trance, Demae plodded over and knelt beside Raven, wrapped securely in one wing. All her worries just seem to float away, leaving her relaxed and calm. With a deep, content sigh, Demae closed her eyes and drifted off, comforted by Raven's close presence.

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_

When Demae woke up the next morning, she found herself wrapped securely in a blanket and on a bed. Confused, she got up and pulled on the clothes that had been laying out for her. She then washed her face in the bowl of water on a small bedside table and pulled a brush through her tangled auburn hair. Once she thought she was presentable, she poked her head out of the room. The home she was in was empty, and from the looks of it, it was one of the Kalindon tree houses. Walking out on to the surrounding deck, she glanced around. There were people walking below, some who waved when they noticed her, so it couldn't be early. However, with her stomach growling, she descended down the ladder to find the breakfast her stomach was demanding.

She never found breakfast. However, she did find a meeting with the Elders.

Kurama had apparently called a meeting and had explained to them what Demae was. An Owl was there to prove his truthfulness. Once they had been convinced, they had waited for Demae to rise before bringing her into the meeting.

"Demae, this is serious. There has not been a Raven for centuries." Said the elder Hawk of Kalindos.

"You mean you knew about a Raven?" Demae asked, astonished.

"Yes, it is something that is not known outside of the Elders, and it is a story that is passed down so that we may always be prepared. Long ago, there was a major uprising of the Descendants. They nearly whiped us out. However, when things were at its bleakest, a young man suddenly walked out in the middle of the fighting. With one word, everyone was held in place as he made a speech of some kind, the story never mentions what he said. He split the fighters, and then disappeared. When the Descendants returned sometime later, he lent his efforts to our people and so they were able to break the Descendants' army and send them home. Then, the Raven vanished. And people forgot. Now it is only the Elders of all the towns who remember."

Demae took in the information, mulling it over in her mind. After a moment, she looked to Kurama. "We will have to leave, won't we?" she asked quietly. At his nod, she asked another question. "Will I be able to see my family first?"

"No, I'm afraid we must leave today."

At Demae's tragic expression, the Hawk Elder spoke up. "Demae, we can send your family a message so that they know you are safe. However, I think we will keep it a secret that you are a Raven for now."

Demae brightened a little, but before she and Kurama could get up, a defiant voice spoke up. "I'm coming too."

Kurama chuckled as he caught a look at his son's expression. "Yes, of course Nikoli. It's too dangerous to leave you here anyway. Your demonic blood will awaken soon, if it hasn't begun to already. Now, come you two, we need to be going." The man stood, quickly followed by Demae and Nikoli as he walked back into the forest.

Demae was quiet, thinking, blue eyes focused on the back of the man she was following. He seemed excited, and very happy. And why shouldn't he be? He was going home. But she was leaving hers, to go somewhere she had never heard of until yesterday. She wasn't sure if she was happy about this or not.

Kurama stopped walking in the same place Hiei had been yesterday…which reminded her… "Hey, Kurama, is Hiei really a spirit?"

Kurama looked over his shoulder to regard Demae. "No," he said at last, "What you saw was just a telepathic projection of himself. It was the only way he could come here without the hassle of coming physically. Don't worry, he will be very alive once we get where we're going."

Demae shivered. She wasn't sure if she would want to see that glare in person.

A sudden light from her left had her jumping in surprise. However, her surprise only grew when she saw what it was. In the middle of the small clearing was a circle of rotating black, silver, and white light. It was about six feet in height and about four feet in width and was raised off the ground about half a foot. Risking a glance at Nikoli, he saw the look of surprise that she surely shared. Then Kurama turned to the two of them.

"Time to go." He said simply.

Taking a deep breath, Demae walked defiantly forward, trying to ignore the slight shaking of her body. Then, with her face screwed up in preparation for the worst, she stepped in…and dropped screaming into a black hole.

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Please review! It makes me feel all warm and toasty inside.


	3. Vincent and the Fox

Ok, I've done something a bit different with this chapter. Here, I have decided to add in a character based on my friend Bishquet, who a few of you know for her story When Obsession Becomes Reality. I decided it was high time she be in a story too. Tell me what you guys think, ok? I luff reviews.

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She was falling. The blackness around her seemed endless. Why had she believed him? Now she was doomed to fall, forever and-

"Hey! It's raining pretty girls!"

Feeling two arms holding her securely to a muscled chest, Demae relaxed and cracked open one eye to look at her savior. He was rather tall with orange hair that was styled in one of the oddest ways she had ever seen. He was smiling, his small brown eyes lighting up as he looked down at her. Hearing a thump, Demae tried to look behind the giant who held her. Nikoli had arrived and was in a heap on the floor. There had been no one to catch him. As he was struggling up, Kurama landed lightly beside him and leaned over to help his son up. He'd obviously had practice with this, she decided.

"Here you go, missy." The orange-headed man said, setting Demae on her feet. The girl looked up at him, studying him sharply before smiling and murmuring her thanks. The man appeared to be in his 40s, but still looked good for his age. He was about 6'2 and she could feel a powerful aura radiating off of him.

"Kuwabara, wonderful to see you."

The giant, now named, replied. "You too, Kurama. Boss is waiting for you guys in his office. I gotta get back to Yukina. Fill me in later when you visit." He said, waving as he left the room, walking into another of those portal things.

"Well, you heard the man." Kurama said, looking at Demae and Nikoli. The two nodded and followed after Kurama as he moved down the hall. Demae kept catching glances of odd, blue-skinned creatures. The one she saw most often had an outlandish spotted loincloth. Just how odd were the people here? And…was that a horn? Oddly disturbed, she kept close to Kurama as he reached a set of large doors, which he pushed open and walked inside. Taking a deep breath, Demae followed, blue eyes glancing around with curiosity. The first thing she noticed was a desk near the back of the room. A leather chair (Who had ever heard of such a thing?) was turned away from her, so she could not see who was sitting in it. In the corner, leaning against the wall, was a familiar figure. It was Hiei, who looked to be in a wonderful mood (Please note the sarcasm). Sitting in one of the two chairs before the desk was a man who looked to be in his 20s. His head was tilted back so he could watch them, so Demae could see his warm, blazing brown eyes. He seemed determined and strong.

As Kurama closed the doors behind them, the chair swung around. Demae was left to gape at a toddler who had his narrowed eyes focused on her.

"Greetings, Demae. I am Prince Koenma, ruler of Rekai."

At the toddler's words, Demae's jaw dropped farther, leaving the young man in the seat snickering. "Well, Koenma, at least she isn't poking fun at you yet." He pointed out, shrugging.

Ignoring Yusuke's words, Koenma continued. "Demae, you have been brought here for training and for your own safety. It was too dangerous to let you stay in your own dimension while you were so weak and untrained. Now, while you are here, we will keep you updated on how your world is doing. We will hide nothing from you, but we will not let you return until you have mastered your skills."

Demae had many questions, but every time she opened her mouth to ask something, Koenma answered whatever question it was. It was rather eerie, really. It was as if he had the skills of a third phase Hawk, which she knew he could not be.

"Um, how many skills will I have?" she asked when Koenma paused for breath.

He sent the girl a small glare. "I was getting to that!" he protested before continuing. "You possess the skills of every guide, all the way up to third phase. Now-"

"Wait!" Demae interrupted, earning herself another glare. "That can't be possible."

Koenma sighed. "It is because Raven made it so. Now, as I was saying, the woman who will train you is far to the North in Makai. I will send the team with you, since they could all do with a little improvement. This woman will help you gain your skills in as little time as she can manage it. But to get there, you will need a guide. She's been here for a few weeks, since we were preparing for your arrival. Botan, go summon her."

At the last part, Koenma directed his words to a woman near the door who Demae hadn't seen until now. She wore a pink kimono and had…blue hair? That was odd. The people in her world were normal; at least in looks. Natural hair and eyes. But the people here were…well, we'll just say Demae wasn't quite used to the changes yet.

As the woman left, Demae took this time to look around the office. The first thing that gained her attention was the lack of candles. Yet there was light coming down from the ceiling. It wasn't the sun, since it seemed to be the wrong color. Glancing up, she squinted at the miniature suns she seemed to see up there. Pointing this out to Kurama, the older male chuckled. "Demae, those are just the lights. Here, we have something called electricity. It powers machines which can perform wide varieties of skills. Those things you see up there are called light bulbs. They provide light and are far safer than the candles your people use."

Frowning at his explanation, Demae tried to process all this information. However, failing to understand it, she gave up. It was simply something she could not comprehend at the moment. Turning her eyes away from the lights, she noticed footsteps echoing down the hall. She recognized Botan's easily, but there was also a lighter, bouncier pair with her. She also noticed that Hiei was getting as far away from the door as he could manage.

Narrowing her eyes, she watched as the two women entered the room. The person Botan brought with her was on the shorter side, maybe 5'1 or 5'2. Her skin was a lot darker than Demae was used to. Obviously Demae had never seen a Hispanic, since they didn't exist in her world. The woman had long, curly-frizzy black hair, out from which two white fox ears could be seen. She had a curvy figure which was wonderfully set off by the baby tee and the skirt she was wearing. The shirt was baby-blue and said, "Jesus is my homeboy," whatever that meant. Emerging from the woman's backside was a fluffy, white fox tail, which curled around her legs as she studied who was in the room. After a moment, she spotted Hiei, who cringed ever so slightly.

"Vincent! Why are you hiding back there?" she asked innocently as she trotted over, heels clicking on the floor.

"Why must you persist in calling me that, onna?" Hiei growled out.

The woman paused, ears twitching slightly. "Weeeeell….I dunno." She said airily before looking at everyone else, leaving Hiei to swear to himself. Spotting Demae, the woman bounced over, grinning for all she was worth. "Oooooo! Another innocent mind to corrupt. Please tell me she's mine, Koenma!" the woman begged, looking to the child ruler.

"Errr, Bishquet, she's Demae, the girl you are supposed to guide." He said.

The odd woman rolled her eyes. "Psh, same difference, Emmy." She said, smirking as Koenma's face screwed up into a scowl.

"Don't call me that!" he shouted.

The woman immediately stuck her tongue out before grabbing Demae's arm and pulling her along, obviously kidnapping the poor girl for the rest of the day.

"May Kami have mercy on Demae's soul." Yusuke murmured reverently before kicking back and falling asleep.

"Um, Bishquet?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

The two females were in the room Koenma had given Bishquet for her stay here. Demae had been forcefully dragged through the castle and shoved unceremoniously into a chair which sat before a large desk and mirror. Bishquet then proceeded to pull odd containers out. Bishquet called them plastic, but they amazed Demae. The plastic seemed as hard as stone, yet it was much lighter. What an odd place this was.

"I'm putting makeup on you." The woman responded. "Now hold still. I don't want to poke your eye out, however much fun I'd have with that. You know the saying, 'It's all fun and games until someone looses and eye. Then hey! Free eyeball!'"

"Um…I have no idea what that means."

Bishquet gave the girl a sad look. "You poor, deprived thing." But then her expression cleared up. "Don't worry! I'll have you properly educated in no time!" she exclaimed as she continued with Demae's face. When Demae seemed like she was going to speak again, a glare fell over Bishquet's face. "Do. Not. Move." She ground out.

Deciding to be safe rather than sorry, Demae kept perfectly still, blue eyes wide as Bishquet continued with what she was doing.

When the woman considered the task done, she leaned back to admire her work. She had given Demae a reddish brown eye shadow, making her blue eyes seem to pop out. Her eyes were also complimented with a dark brown eye liner and black mascara. A very light-toned rouge dusted Demae's cheeks and sparkly strawberry lip gloss was shining on her lips.

"Good." Bishquet cooed. "Now for clothes!"

The woman hopped up, darting to her closet. After a moment, clothing was flying everywhere. There was a dissatisfied snort just before the clothes quit catapulting out of the closet. "Nothing here fits what I deem your style. Besides…you're so much taller than me. But…some of my stuff should fit. The skirts and tops will just be a bit shorter." She said, sounding like she was mainly speaking to herself. Her head popped out from the closet doors for a moment, looking down at Demae's feet before disappearing again. "And you have small feet too. Perfect!" There was a rustling sound before the woman came out again, clutching clothing in her hand. She handed then to Demae, then shooed the girl to the bathroom.

Confused and slightly dazed, Demae obeyed, struggling into the clothing. Bishquet had given her a white peasant skirt and a soft, light green cami. The skirt, while meant to go to Bishquet's feet, reached just at Demae's knees. The shirt was fine, however. When the girl emerged from the bathroom, Bishquet nodded her approval. "Now, let me do your hair."

Bishquet once again forced Demae into the chair of Doom and began to brush out the girl's long auburn hair. After minutes of fussing and wondering what she should do, Bishquet finally decided on an artfully messy bun. Once that was done, she grinned. "Ha! Now you are presentable." She declared with a nod.

Demae twisted around, looking at herself in the mirror. "Presentable for what?" she asked, facing Bishquet again.

The woman hopped up. "For shopping of course! I just need to get a concealer charm from Koenma, as well as an escort for us." She then made a face. "There's no way the baby would let us go out without someone watching us."

With that, she was bouncing out of the room and down the hall, leaving an extremely confused Demae to follow in her wake. As she followed Bishquet, she looked around, trying to memorize her way. However, it seemed the task was impossible since there were so many turns. Soon enough, the two were in front of Koenma's office. Bishquet, of course, just threw open the doors and walked in.

"Emmy!"

There was an offended snort behind the tall stacks of paper that littered the desk. After a moment, Koenma appeared, looking disgruntled. "I told you not to call me that!"

Bishquet shrugged, sidling up closer to the desk. "Koenma is a mouthful. Therefore, I have shortened it for my convenience. Now, I want to take Demae out. I need a charm for myself and an escort for the two of us. And make it a hot one." She demanded, nailed hands clasped behind her back as she rocked back and forth.

"Is that all you bothered me for?" he asked, sounding annoyed. With a snort, he tossed her something, which she caught in her hand. Looking at it, she spied a small charm designed to fit on a necklace. Reaching a hand into her pocket, she fished out a silver chain used for said charm. She strung it on and placed it around her neck. Immediately, her ears and tail disappeared.

"Perfect! Now…who do we get to kidnap?"

"Take Hiei. He's the only one not busy at the moment."

Bishquet stilled, looking as if she couldn't believe her ears. She then took in a deep breath and expelled it in a victory yell. "YES!" Small, furry forest creatures began to run in panic as Bishquet suddenly darted out of the door, a predator in search of her prey. Giving the woman an odd look, Demae followed, keeping a small distance between herself and the oddly focused Bishquet.

"He's hiding from me again." The arctic kitsune youkai murmured to herself as she paused, nose lifting to scent the air. "Aha!" she exclaimed, darting off again. She followed the hallway until she reached a set of stairs, bounding up them to reach one of the turrets of the castle, leaving a bewildered Demae at the bottom. There was no way she was climbing those! Demae decided she'd just wait down here for Bishquet to come back. That woman had way too much energy…

Bishquet had cornered her prey. The fire demon she had been seeking was leaning against the wall that ran around the perimeter of the turret. He had a wary look in his red eyes as he watched her.

"What do you want, Onna?" he asked, suspicious.

"Emmy said you have to come with Demae and me to the mall." And with that, the woman turned around and dashed back down the stairs. An echo of, "Vincent! Come on!" reached his ears, making his eyes narrow. However, Hiei followed. He'd teach that irritating fox a lesson later when he got the chance.

Half an hour later found the group of three in the food court of the local mall. Three large bags full of clothes and accessories for Demae were beside the girls, as well as a smaller bag of stuff simply for Bishquet. Hiei looked as intimidating as always, well…as intimidating as he could with a drink holding a small paper umbrella in front of him, courtesy of Bishquet, who was still giggling.

"Don'cha like it, Vincent?"

Twitch.

"I don't think he's going to drink it. I don't think he likes that name, either." Demae said doubtfully.

Bishquet had been nettling Hiei the whole shopping trip. Demae was surprised Hiei hadn't tried to behead the woman yet. He seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't take this kind of behavior from anyone. However, there was an air about him that made Demae wonder just what was really going on between these two demons. It was too complex and convoluted for her to figure out right now, though, so she put the thoughts away for later.

Bishquet had mostly picked out Demae's clothes, since the girl had no idea what to do, or what a lot of these things were. The sights were just so mind-blowing. Demae wasn't sure she'd ever get used to this place.

"Oh! He's a cute one."

Distracted, Demae looked over, studying the man Bishquet had pointed out. She supposed he was ok enough….

"Demae, you two would look so perfect together!" The fox demon pointed out yet another male. This had been going on for most of the trip as well, to the embarrassment of Demae and the annoyance of Hiei. Earlier, Bishquet had even snagged a random man's arm just to place him beside Demae to measure him up. Then with a dismissive, "Nope!" she sent him on his way. Demae was sure her face had been on fire she had been so embarrassed.

"Weeeeell, time to go! Vincent, finish your drink so we can leave. We're waiting on you."

Hiei arched one black eyebrow, as if to ask if she were kidding. However, the demoness was not moving. She was pointedly looking at Hiei's pink, fruity drink, arms crossed.

"I am not drinking that…frothy concoction." He said, distain in his voice.

Bishquet frowned ever so slightly. Then, before Hiei could do a thing, he was wearing his drink, the umbrella stuck in his spiky locks. Cackling, Bishquet grabbed the bags and began to walk out with Demae, leaving a steaming Hiei behind.

"Um, Bishquet, do you think that was very wise? Hiei looks mad."

"Please, just call me Bish. And Vincent will be fine. He's had worse. Trust me. I've dished out other things in the weeks I've known him. This was nothing. Besides, he could use a little sweetening up."

Shaking her head, Demae followed Bish as she made her way back to the rendezvous point where Botan was waiting on them to take them home.


	4. Kurama's a Tramp!

Hi guys. Or gal, maybe I should say, since only one person reviewed the last chapter. Well, you know who you are and I thank you for your review.

Please enjoy the 4th chapter and review please. It makes me feel appreciated.

* * *

Demae shuffled nervously from foot to foot. Today was the day Bishquet was to take them to Makai to meet Demae's new teacher. She and the rest of the group were bundled up for cold weather. Their group consisted of herself, Bishquet, Kurama, Nikoli, and Yusuke. Hiei and Kuwabara would be staying behind to watch over Ningenkai so nothing untoward would happen while the others were gone. Bishquet had seemed a little disappointed, but soon cheered up as their portal was opened. She was going home, so why shouldn't she be happy?

Demae pressed her lips together as she eyed the portal with suspicion. The last time she had gone through one, she had lost all sense of direction and her stomach. Catching her look, Yusuke threw a companionable arm around her shoulders. "Don't you worry, Dem. It won't be so bad as before." He assured her before letting go and following Bish through the portal. Kurama motioned her to go next, so she held her breath and stepped in. This time, it seemed like she was somewhat floating, though she still felt the sensation of falling. Suddenly the swirling darkness was replaced with blinding light as she landed deeply in the snow. Floundering out of the drift she had landed in, she looked around with interest.

It looked like they were on a large ice plain. There was no distinguishing feature as far as she could see. As Nikoli and Kurama landed nearby, Demae quelled a small surge of jealousy. Neither of them landed in the snow. Demons had all the luck. Shaking her head, she looked over at Bishquet. The woman seemed calm and happy. This was home to her, though how anyone could stand to live here was beyond Demae.

"Ok! Everyone seems to be accounted for. Stick close together. Blizzards can come up suddenly. I'll block as much of it as I can, but I'm not a weather witch, so I can't promise much." Bish announced past the scarf that was wrapped around her head, covering her nose and mouth. "Find a buddy and follow closely behind me." With that, she turned and began walking north.

Demae found herself beside Nikoli with Yusuke and Kurama paired behind them. She smiled lightly at the half-demon, but much of it was lost behind a scarf of her own. However, Nikoli seemed to read the smile in her eyes, because he smiled back. No one spoke much, since they were conserving their energy. They needed it all to keep walking.

The wind had begun to howl, stinging what exposed skin there was. All of them had to lean forward to make any progress at all. Every step they gained was fought for. Demae could barely make out Bish's outline in front of them. The wind had picked up the snow, creating flurries that sought to separate the small group. Suddenly, Demae stumbled, falling to the side. In the few precious moments it took for her to struggle up against the wind, she had lost sight of the others. Looking left and right, the girl tried to make sense of which direction they could have gone. Her heart felt like it was constricting as panic set in. She was alone, in a white-out. Bishquet had lectured them all on how dangerous it was getting stuck out in a blizzard, so Demae knew how much trouble she was in now.

She needed to stay calm. She had to figure out what she was going to do. She would never get anything accomplished if she just panicked. Taking a few calming breaths, Demae made herself relax as she searched for guidance.

_I need help._

The plea was sent off, riding on the wind, past the barriers of time and space. In only moments, Demae felt herself securely wrapped in wings of black.

"Crow." She murmured as she leaned into the comfortingly familiar feathery form. He had come. She hadn't been sure if any of the spirits from her world could still hear her.

_As long as there is belief, we will come. Never doubt that, Little One._

Demae nodded, reassured. "I have lost my group, Crow, and I am lost. If I don't make it to shelter soon, I will freeze. I need help" she pleaded.

Crow was silent for a moment before he spoke. _Look within yourself, Demae, and you shall find the way. I may give you no more help in this. This is a test you must overcome yourself._

And with that, Demae found herself alone in the blizzard once more. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to think. Look within. What did that mean? Stomping her feet to keep her circulation going, she pondered that clue. Taking another deep breath, she sought her center, the place she went to when she meditated.

She floated in a space of infinite black. Small stars seemed to dot the area, though it was otherwise bare. There was no up or down, no left or right. It was just…there. However, as Demae floated there, she felt a small ping. It was insistent, pulling at her attention until she once again opened her eyes and turned to the direction the small ping had come from. "Well, it's the only clue I have." She muttered to herself as she started forward, following the ping she felt. Well, at least she'd stay warm if she walked.

Fighting against both the cold and the wind, Demae knew she was becoming exhausted. But she had to keep going. Otherwise, no one would find her. She could no longer feel her fingers and her nose was a distant memory. She vaguely realized she was stumbling to and fro; yet still she let herself be guided. Her destination had to be there.

Suddenly she noticed she was no longer walking. She was lying out in the snow, face turned to the side as the snow melted and froze again in her scarf. When had that happened? She wasn't sure. It was hard to think, with sleep teasing her at the corners of her mind. But she couldn't sleep, no matter how tempting it seemed. Groaning, she struggled to get up on hands and knees, to crawl if need be. However, she didn't even have the strength for that. As she lay there, she suddenly realized a pair of boots was in front of her face. Turning over, she looked up to see a suspicious pair of blue eyes before blackness finally stole over her vision.

* * *

The whole group was out of their minds with worry. They had arrived in Bishquet's village only half an hour ago. They had tried to get a search party out for Demae when an old, scratchy voice had delayed them. "The girl will be fine."

The woman who had spoken was bent with age, a glossy raven perched upon her shoulder. Her silky white hair was bound tightly in a bun and covering her eyes were milky cataracts. She was dressed in a stout wool dress, covered in a thick cloak. She leaned upon a twisted cane and gave them all a blind glare. Once she was sure they all had gotten the message, she had gone back to her hut, leaving the group to find lodging. Bish had decided to take them all to her place. It was rather cramped with them all together, but at least it was warm. Despite the worry for Demae, everyone seemed to be relaxing, especially after Bishquet informed them that the old woman from before would be Demae's teacher.

"Kurama?"

The man looked up from a book he had found, focusing his green-eyed gaze on Bishquet. The woman stood in front of him, idly twirling one of her curls around a small finger. Some where she had found a shirt that proclaimed, "Insane? I prefer special." Kurama kept a chuckle to himself, since it seemed to describe the demon perfectly.

"Yes, Bishquet?" he asked as he closed his book.

"You know what?" she asked, tilting her head.

"What?"

"You're a tramp!" she exclaimed, giggling before skipping through the house to bother someone else, but not before performing her impression of a tyrannosaurus rex and leaving Kurama totally confused. Poor man.

"Insane, definitely." Kurama said to himself as he opened his book once more. However, he was soon interrupted again. Nikoli walked in, looking very down. He knew his son blamed himself for losing Demae. The young half-demon sat down on the floor beside his father's chair, not saying a word. He could tell that Nikoli did care for Demae in a way, even if his son didn't seem quite sure what exactly it was yet. Kurama said not a word, and neither did Nikoli, leaving the two of them to sit in a companionable, yet worried, silence.

Meanwhile, Bishquet was bothering Yusuke. It seemed that the man had found Bishquet's extensive game system and was currently destroying ghosts in old school Pacman. Snickering lightly to herself, the silent arctic kitsune youkai crept forward before springing to the man's back. And suddenly Bishquet found herself sailing through the air, since Yusuke reacted by grabbing her and tossing her off of his shoulder. The kitsune landed with a very unladylike thump on the floor, leaving her to rub her bum and glare at Yusuke.

"You should be more careful. I'm a delicate ice flower, so you should be gentle." She admonished as she stood up, wrapping her tattered dignity around her. However, her haughty expression soon disappeared as a direct result of Yusuke's laughing. And so with a triumphant smirk, she unplugged the game system. "Mine." She said in victory as Yusuke gave her a disbelieving look.

"I can't believe you did that, you midget!" he shouted, springing for the woman and grabbing a hunk of her frizzy hair.

"Ah! Rape! Save my hair! He's trying to make love to my hair! Save meeeee!" Bish cried out as she tried to pull her hair out of Yusuke's grasp.

Yusuke only rolled his eyes. "And this, ladies and gents, is the great ice fox of the north." He muttered in a sarcastic manner, tugging at her hair.

Stopping in her struggles, Bishquet gave the man a hard look. "You asked for it." She said in warning before Yusuke was in a ball on the ground. Retracting her knee with a satisfied look, she patted the pained man's head before leaving the room to let Yusuke wallow in his misery, trying to smooth her frizzy curls back into place. From there, she walked to her own room and locked the door behind her. Once there, she curled up in her bed. "Vincent." She murmured in a low, lonely voice to herself as a single tear trickled down her cheek.

* * *

Shivering, Demae pulled the blanket that was over her tighter, blinking open her bleary blue eyes. She was so cold still, but at least she could feel her extremities. Cautiously looking out of her blanket burrow, she studied the place she was in. It was cave-like, but the rugs on the floor and tapestries on the wall gave it a homey look and kept the chill away, as did the fire that was burning in a hearth that had been carved from the rock wall.

Hearing footsteps, Demae shrank back into her burrow, only her eyes peering out so she could see exactly who her savior was. The man was shorter than her. He had odd, pupiless blue eyes and matching blue hair, which was smoothed back. Bangs of a pastel green color almost hid his left eye. He was carrying a steaming drink in his hand, which he held out wordlessly to Demae. The young woman took it after emerging from her blankets, eyeing him as she sipped at the cup's contents. It was a warm, chamomile tea, one which warmed her up in a hurry. Seeing the rosy color returning to Demae's cheeks, the unnamed man nodded before taking a seat on the floor in front of her.

"My name is Touya." He said, answering Demae's unasked question. "But now I need your name and why you were out in the snow if I'm going to help at all."

Demae eyed him from behind her cup, blue eyes somewhat suspicious. He was probably a demon, she decided, since his hair was so odd. But he did save her, so he deserved the truth. "My name is Demae. I was traveling to a northern village with an arctic kitsune named Bishquet."

Touya nodded, leaning back on his hands. "I know of the village you speak, as well as the kitsune. We met a while back when I came here for solitary training. I can take you to her, if that is what you wish."

Demae nodded. "Yes, I have to go there. I'm supposed to seek training under a woman who lives there. Bishquet never did tell me her name, though."

"Well, finish your tea. We should get there as soon as possible so we aren't caught outside when dark falls."

Demae immediately stood up, grabbing her jacket and slipping into it. Seeing her enthusiasm, Touya hid a small smile as he stood as well. He walked to the exit of his home, pushing open the wooden door. Immediately cold wind gusted in, making Demae step back. Touya looked over his shoulder. "Demae, give me your hand. We don't need to lose each other as you did your first group." Nodding, the girl obeyed and the two ventured out into the raging storm.


	5. Sexy twin powers activate!

Yay! this was updated rather quickly, wasn't it? I blame Bish. She pushed me to hurry up and finish it, haha.

Thank you, the three of you who reviewed. And yes Bish, you are included in that three.

Enjoy!

* * *

Kurama yawned to himself as his bleary eyes lazily shot up to the clock that was ticking away on the wall. It was nearly 9 o'clock. And while that wasn't late to some, it was for Kurama, especially since they had taken that long tiring hike through over the ice and snow. Nikoli was on the floor still, though his eyes had drooped closed. The only thing that was keeping him upright was the fact he was leaning against Kurama's chair. He smiled fondly at the boy before closing his book and setting it aside. He supposed he should go to bed and try to get some sleep, though he wasn't sure how easy it would be with worry gnawing at his belly. Just as he was pausing to wake his son, there was a loud knock on the door. Frowning, Kurama left Nikoli to go check.

At the door, he paused before reaching for the knob. Who would be visiting at this hour? It was pitch black outside and he could hear the wind as it howled its fury. Eyes narrowed, he cracked open the door. The first thing to greet him was a pair of pupiless blue eyes. Knowing that gaze anywhere, he let the two figures in. Both were so wrapped up that it was hard to tell who they really were.

"Touya." Kurama greeted with a smile as the ninja removed his hat and scarf, revealing a serious face that had a soft smile upon it.

"I didn't know you were here, Kurama." He said before looking over his shoulder at the other figure, an almost accusing look on his face.

The figure shrugged. "Sorry. I wasn't sure how far I could trust you." Scarf and hat were removed, revealing Demae's welcome face.

Surprising everyone in the room, Kurama scooped the tall girl up in a hug. Demae gasped, the man's arms almost crushing her. She patted his shoulder awkwardly in an effort to get him to let go. "It's ok, Kurama. I'm glad to see you too." Grinning sheepishly, the kitsune placed her back on her own feet. As Demae looked around, she spotted Nikoli, who had been awakened by the commotion. Demae could have sworn he'd had a murderous expression on his face directed at his father, but she blinked and it was gone. Deciding she was seeing things, she walked over to hug him. He seemed a bit surprised, but whole-heartedly accepted the embrace.

A curious Yusuke and Bishquet soon appeared, they in turn also receiving hugs. Demae was simply happy that she was safely back with them. As she helped Bish put away wet coats, Kurama decided to catch up with Touya.

"It's been a while." He said, sipping at the hot tea he had just made.

Touya had his own matching cup, which was nestled in his hands. "Yes, I had come here to train in solitude. My time here is almost up, however. I had been planning to return home in a few months' time."

"How did you come across Demae?"

"I had been home when I felt an odd, unknown aura enter my territory. There was no ill intent in it, so I decided to satisfy my curiosity and see just what exactly someone was doing out in the snow. The girl was practically on my doorstep, passed out when I got to her. So I naturally brought her inside and wrapped her in as many blankets as I could find. I got her to tell me who she was and where she was going, but she only mentioned Bishquet. That also leads me to a question. Who was that young man with you?"

Kurama mulled his answer over. "You know it has been years since we last met, yes?" At the ice master's nod, he continued. "During that time, I was in another world, Demae's world. I had been sent to watch over her. There, I met and married a wonderful woman, though she died a few years ago. Nikoli is the result of that marriage."

"Another world?" Touya asked, interested.

"I can't really tell you much. Though I suppose if you wanted to find out, Koenma may debrief you if you show an interest in the case."

"A case, is it? Much be terribly important is King Enma is allowing Koenma to hire you all again."

Kurama nodded. "Yes, and its all centered around Demae."

Said person was currently amazed by the contraption Yusuke had. Demae wasn't sure was the man was doing, but whatever it was made the box with the moving pictures create sound and movement. Yusuke had called it a video game, but declined to elaborate. So poor Demae was left in the dark as to what it really was. Actually, it made rather annoying noises, so Demae left Yusuke to go find Bishquet. She was staying in her room, after all.

Demae soon found Bish in her room. She was sitting on the edge of her bed and staring dejectedly out of her window. Concerned, the girl crept closer only to have Bish's reddened eyes turned to her. The demon's gaze was so full of loneliness and sadness that Demae couldn't help but wrap her into a hug. Bish just seemed to vulnerable right now, and Demae didn't like it one bit. It was so at odds with how Bishquet normally was that Demae was actually a little scared. What could make Bish act this way?

"Bish? What's the matter? Please tell me." The young woman pleaded.

The kitsune hung her head. "I miss Hiei." She murmured, voice so soft that Demae almost didn't hear it, despite being so close.

Demae was stunned. Bish didn't call Hiei Vincent. So obviously something was seriously up. "How could you miss him? He barely pays you any attention."

Bishquet shook her head. "He does, he just likes to keep it private. And no, before you ask, he doesn't love me. I share a…physical relationship with him. I doubt he'll ever return my feelings." She said, giving Demae a watery smile.

Demae frowned. Obviously this had been going on a while. Was this how Bishquet spent her nights, longing over a demon that didn't really care a wit about the female population? Apparently Bish was willing to do anything just to be near Hiei. Demae wasn't sure she liked this at all. However, she let it be, not willing to get in a fight with Bish at the moment, which is what would certainly happen. So she just stayed with Bish until the demon fell asleep. Demae soon joined the woman, sliding the covers over them both, neither having bothered to change into more comfortable clothing.

* * *

In the morning, giggling and snorting could be heard from the kitchen. Bish and Demae had woken up early and decided to cook for everyone. Since there were so many people, the two women had decided on pancakes. So the sight the males woke up to was a huge plate stacked with slightly deformed blueberry and chocolate pancakes as well as flour and batter covering both females. Finally noticing the confused males in the doorway, Bish and Demae gave identical sheepish smiles before filing out of the room to shower. They had already eaten, so they told the guys to go ahead and dig in.

Yusuke rolled his eyes as he sat down at the table, soon followed by the other three. "Girls." He muttered under his breath as he snagged three of the large pancakes. "I will never get them."

Kurama chuckled as he sliced up his own before adding syrup to his plate. "The two of them together are amusing." He conceded.

After that, breakfast was mostly consumed in silence, punctuated by Yusuke's rather large belches. At the others' expressions, he said that belching was a compliment, so it didn't need to be excused.

Meanwhile, the girls were washing up. Bishquet was taking Demae to meet her teacher today. Demae was going to stay with the woman as well, so the girl had to repack all her things. It was a minor annoyance anyway. Once that was all done, the two left without even saying good-bye to the guys who were still in the kitchen. They trekked out across the blinding snow to the far edge of the village. There was a small hut with smoke emitting from the top, curling up towards the sky.

"Well, I'll leave you here. Just knock and she'll let you in. See you later, Dem." Bish said before leaving the girl alone.

Demae pressed her lips together in a thin line as she studied the door. After a moment, she tentatively knocked on the door, pack in hand. The door suddenly swung open and the woman the others met yesterday was standing there, leaning on her cane and the raven perched on her shoulder. As Demae saw the bird, she gasped lightly before averting her eyes.

"Don't worry, child. Raven will not care if you look upon her. She is here to observe and teach, nothing more. Now come in." the blind woman said before moving back and out of the way so Demae could come in.

There were only three rooms in the whole house. The biggest was the living room which had a kitchen and a small table for eating. The room to the side was where the old woman slept. The third room was the bathroom, something Demae still wasn't used to. Setting her things down, she looked around.

"You may call me Mother. Everyone else does. You'll be sleeping in a cot in my room. You will have chores here, such as cooking and cleaning. I say when and where you train, no objections." The woman said, laying out the rules. She took Demae's silence for an agreement and nodded. "Ok, well, we'll begin your first lesson then…"

* * *

A simple, round mirror lay on the table in complete darkness. After a moment, a pair of neat hands wrapped themselves around it. At the touch, the mirror flared to life, a bluish light emerging from it. The light was easily contained in the small room, since the windows were covered and the doors were closed.

"Alenial." Called out a soft voice. The voice seemed to caress the senses, as delightful and seductive as dark chocolate as it swirled around the room. Almost immediately, a pale face appeared in the mirror. The man in the mirror was well bred with high cheekbones and sculpted features. His long auburn hair was artfully pulled back in a low ponytail and secured with a black ribbon. His stony grey eyes focused on the person who was looking into the mirror, but said nothing, waiting for the other to speak.

"How goes it?" the dark voice whispered.

"It all goes fine, sire. These so called Descendants think I am a god of theirs come down to lead them. They are like putty in my hands."

"Good, good." The voice purred, the sound sending shivers down Alenial's back.

After a moment, the man spoke up again. "How are you doing on your end?"

There was a pause before the unknown man responded. "Demae has been with the crone for about a month. We haven't been allowed to see her. However, the crone promised that she could visit us sometime soon. I'll try and speak with her then."

"Is that all, sire?"

"Yes, now be gone."

With that said, the mirror darkened, all light leaving the room and leaving it pitch black. A quite laugh rumbled out from the man's chest. Yes, all would go as planned. He would see to that.

* * *

It had been two months; two, long, tiring months. But Mother was finally giving her a break. Demae felt like deserved it, certainly. She had mastered all of the first phase skills and was now working on the second phase ones. These were coming along slower, though, since they were more complicated. Packing up enough for a few days, Demae made the short walk back to Bish's cabin. At her knock, the door was immediately opened and she was pulled into an embrace.

"Ah! My minion returns!"

"Hello, Bish. Could you let go? I can't breath."

Laughing sheepishly, the woman sprang back, hands behind her back. "What, I was just happy to see you."

Hearing a sudden commotion, Demae tilted her head in question.

"Oh, we got a few more guests while you were gone. C'mon! I'll take you to meet them."

Grabbing Demae's hand, she pulled the girl along and into the living room. Testosterone overload! She recognized a few, the few being Yusuke, Kurama, Nikoli, and Touya. However, there were quite a few other males.

"Hey guys! Demae is back!" Bish announced, causing every head to turn in their direction. "Ok, Demae, I'll name the ones you don't know. That one there in the mohawk is Chu and the one beside him is Rinku. And those two are the Urameshi twins, Damien and Devir."

The first two simply waved at Demae before resuming the video game that had then entranced. The second two, however, stood up to greet the girls. The two young men were about 5'10 and had deep brown, almost black hair. One of them wore their hair short and jagged while the other seemed to prefer long hair, which was pulled back in a braid. The two had identical pairs of blazing brown eyes. The one with the long hair introduced himself as Damien, so the one with the short hair was Devir.

"Umm, are you Yusuke's brothers?" Demae asked, slightly confused. Why hadn't Yusuke mentioned he had siblings?

The twins exchanged looks before bursting out into laughter. Once they got control of themselves, one leaning on the other, Devir elaborated.

"You see, Demae, Yusuke is our father. He's a half demon, so he doesn't age the normal rate. He and Kuwabara are the same age, but the latter is human." He explained, still chuckling. The young man then proceeded to draw Demae into a hug. "Good to mee'cha." He said before sitting down, leaving his brother.

The more mature looking of the two took Demae's hand, laying a butterfly kiss on the back of her hand. "Good to meet you, Demae." He said softly, his deep, smooth voice making Demae blush as she took her hand back. With a slow smile, the man joined his brother once again.

"The two of them are total flirts." Bish said, rolling her eyes. "Especially that Damien. He's a real charmer, that one is. So don't pay him too much attention." With that, she pulled Demae after her so she could get the girl settled into Bish's room, since the guys had taken over all of the others.


	6. Sorrows Untold

Hi guys. I'm back with a new chapter. You've all made me so happy with all of the reviews. I'm sorry to say that I have rewarded this was sorrow. Make sure you have a box of tissues nearby as you read.

* * *

Demae sighed, sitting in the kitchen and swinging her bare feet back and forth over the slick tile. A warm cup of hot chocolate sat on the table, steam evident as it swirled up into the air. Everyone else was outside doing who knows what, so she was the only one inside. The only reason she had known where everyone else was at was because Bishquet had run in a little while ago to grab a new pair of pants. Apparently her other pair was soaked through because of the snow. Running a hand through her limp hair, Demae decided she would get a shower. However, as soon as she stood, her wrist was gripped by a hand. Smothering an undignified squeak, Demae glared over her shoulder at a grinning Devir.

"Yes?" she asked, arching one auburn eyebrow at him in question.

"Get dressed! Hurry! Bish and I need backup!"

And then he was gone, running out the door. Frowning, Demae walked to the window and peered out, watching as snowballs sailed back and forth.

Seeing Demae looking out of the window, Bish waved her arms. "Come on, Demae! We nee-EEEEE! Hey, that was cold!" she yelled, whirling around to face a laughing Yusuke as he darted behind a snow fort. Trying to knock the snow out of her shirt, Bish headed for the house so she could drag Demae outside. Hearing a door slam shut, she grinned to herself, canines visible. So, Demae thought she could stay out of this? Creeping along the hall, Bishquet came to a stop at her door, which was closed.

"Hmm, all the better. This way I can stuff her into some clothes without having the leave the room."

The kitsune tried the door, but found it to be locked. Ears flicking, she shrugged slightly. It was only a minor set back. Fishing a hairpin from her now damp hair, she picked out the lock. Choking back a cry of triumph, the fox turned the knob slowly so she wouldn't make any noise. Cracking open the door, she spotted her prey sitting on the bed. Throwing open the door, Bish yelled out a war cry Xena would be proud of, landing in a pile on the taller girl.

"I've got you now, my pretty!" Bish cackled in a perfect Wicked Witch impersonation. As far as imitating people went, Bishquet was on a roll today. "Now you have to get dressed and come help me and Devir. Yusuke, Chu, and Rinku have ganged up on us! We need help so…get dressed!"

Snorting, Demae tossed the lighter demon off of her. "Fine, fine." She grumbled, climbing off the bed and rummaging through her clothes, often prodded by Bish with her cries of, "Hurry!" Finally the tall girl was dressed for the cold, gloves and hat included. She barely had time to wrap a scarf around her neck before Bishquet had grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the house.

As soon as they exited Bish's home, they had to dodge the snowballs chunked in their direction. They dived behind a snow fort, where they found Devir making some more ammo. Apparently, he had used up the rest. Ducking a flying snowball, Bish scooped up one and lobbed it at the other fort.

"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" she yelled out at them, ignoring the odd look Demae sent her. Bish decided that when this was over, the girl was definitely watching the Holy Grail, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Soon it was an all out war, snowballs flying back and forth over the 'no man's land' that had been created between the two forts. Staying out of it, Kurama, Touya, and Damien simply watched. They wanted no part of this battle. Because of this, though, it was inevitable that they would soon be targeted. What was surprising, though, was who threw the first snowball at them. Sputtering, Kurama wiped away the snow from his face, narrowed eyes suddenly widening as he caught sight of Demae, arm still extended from her throw. Showing him an impish grin, she ducked down behind the snow fort again. Taking this as a cue, Yusuke's group also began throwing snowballs at the three.

Arching an eyebrow, Kurama turned his gaze to the ice master beside him. "Touya, if you would be so kind?"

Half an hour later, Touya, Kurama, and Damien went inside, followed by the six others who were soaked and had obviously lost. And what was the moral of this? Well, obviously it's never challenge an ice master to a snowball fight. You'll always lose.

As soon as everyone had dried off, they all piled into the living room where they discovered Nikoli asleep on the couch. Deciding she wanted to sit down, Bishquet convinced Devir and Damien to toss him off. While Nikoli was sputtering on the floor, Bish had wriggled in between the twins on the couch, though she was snuggling up to Devir.

Demae watched the scene with amusement. She trotted over, planning to help Nikoli up, when an arm snaked around her waist and she was pulled down to sit on the couch, almost landing in Damien's lap. Blushing lightly at his smirk, she cut her eyes to the left to see Yusuke with an amused smile on his face. This only made the girl's blush intensify as she dropped her blue eyes to look at her hands, which were in her lap. She was jerked out of the silent contemplation of her hands as Bishquet yelled out.

"Hey! Kurama and Touya, why don't you make everyone some hot chocolate? We could all use it. And Yusuke, be useful and put in a dvd. The Holy Grail would be a nice one, don'cha think?" It seemed the demoness was going to try and corrupt Demae's mind farther. Splendid!

Soon everyone had their drink and seat. Bish pressed play on the dvd remote and soon the glorious work of Monty Python was playing across the screen. Demae would have loved to watch it. It's just that she was a little distracted at the moment. She could feel Damien's warm breath as it ghosted across her neck, creating goose bumps on her arms. His arms were also still wrapped around her waist. Despite the fact it was very embarrassing for the girl, she was comfortable, so she didn't mind too much.

The one it bothered the most was Nikoli. After hearing a small giggle from Demae because Damien decided to tickle her lightly, he stood up and stalked from the room. Exchanging looks with Bishquet, Demae slipped away from Damien to follow the half demon as he went outside. Nikoli finally stopped under a weather-worn tree, staring up at the cloudless sky. Demae came to stand beside him, holding out his jacket. Without a word, he slipped it on. The silence stretched between them until Demae could no longer stand it.

"Nikoli…what's wrong?"

This seemed to be the opening the young half-demon wanted because he turned to face Demae, a snarl on his face. "What's wrong? You're letting that…that…stuck-up snob touch you!"

Demae growled lightly, becoming defensive. "It isn't like he means it, Niko. He's just playing around. Besides, since when have you been concerned about who does what with me?"

The young man seemed to deflate, shoulders dropping. "Since I rediscovered my longing for you."

This seemed to take Demae aback. She wasn't quite sure what to say to that, since it rocked her little world. At his admission, she smiled slightly, and this seemed to encourage Nikoli.

"Come with me."

"Come with you? Where are you going?" she asked, utterly confused.

"Home, I'm going home. Please say you'll come with me."

"Home? And just how do you propose to do that?"

"Like this." Nikoli reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, finely wrought mirror. Demae recognized it as the one that had belonged to his mother before she died. As soon as the half-demon had touched it, it began to glow a blue color. "Open it." Nikoli suddenly said, voice morphing into something silky and smooth, a voice Demae wasn't at all used to hearing, especially from Nikoli's mouth. It just…wasn't him.

"Come. Together we can save our world and unite everyone, Demae." He pleaded, green eyes boring into her own.

Shaking her head, she took a step back, horror suddenly etched into her face. "Y-you! It's you!" she accused, crying out.

Sighing, Nikoli nodded as a whirling black hole appeared behind him. "Yes, it's me. I discovered my powers a long time ago. While I was experimenting, I came across the ability to see others with my mother's mirror. And I just happened to run across a demon from Makai. Impressed with me, he helped to get me a portal into his world. I was able to create a following. But just think of it, Demae! We can unite everyone in the land under our rule. There will be no more fighting."

"But what of the people who will die when you try to subdue them and take over?"

"It's necessary. Their deaths will be for the greater good. Now come with me."

"No!" she cried out, stepping back as he tried to grab her hand.

At this point, the others inside had felt the rise in demonic energy. There was a demon nearby, and a very powerful one at that. Spilling out of the house, the sight of Nikoli and Demae met their eyes, a portal behind them. The two beings before them simply radiated power as they held a glaring contest. But as soon as the group came out, Nikoli averted his eyes and latched them on to Kurama and Damien.

"They have corrupted your thinking, Demae." He said softly, deadly.

Suddenly, before any of them could do otherwise, large bolts of black lightning streaked down from an otherwise clear sky, hitting both Kurama and Damien before anyone could do anything. When Demae made to run over to them, a hand on her wrist stopped her. "I do love you, Demae. Think it over." Nikoli said, eyes full of meaning before he slipped off into the portal and away from the shouts of anger and concern.

Snapping out of her shock, Demae rushed over and shoved the others aside. "Move! Move out of the way and let me see them!" she yelled at the others. Realizing Demae was trying to help, Bish started to shove the other males away. Once they were spread out, she latched on to Devir, comforting the teenager as Demae hurried to check the conditions of the downed men. Neither were moving and both were breathing shallowly, though Damien's breathing was more erratic than Kurama's and it worried Demae. Their arms and chests were covered with shiny burns and gaping wounds where the bolts had literally sliced through them. She didn't have the skill to heal them. She hadn't completed her training yet.

Feeling tears leaking from her eyes, she stilled her mind and listened for the sound of beating wings. If the sound grew faint, they would live. However, if she heard the sound of wings growing louder, they would die. It would mean Crow was here to take them away from her.

"No….no! No! Nononooooo!" the girl suddenly wailed, blue eyes growing wider with every shout. The sound of wings was so loud that Demae grew deaf to everything else. No, this couldn't be happening, it just couldn't! "Crow! Please, Crow, don't take them away….please…." she begged as the form of Crow entered her vision.

_Demae, you know that I cannot delay death._

Demae wilted under his chiding voice, but perked up lightly as he spoke up again.

_However, I will let you make a choice. You may save one. Only one. And even then, he still may not survive. Make your choice wisely._

Chin quivering, the girl turned her eyes to the two severely injured males before her. Both were needed. Both had people who would miss them if they were gone. Shutting her eyes tightly together, she made her choice.

"Kurama." She whispered, knowing that no matter what she was condemning a man to death. She would like to think she was only choosing Kurama because he was the most likely to survive, being a full demon. But the real reason was more selfish.

_So be it. Help him home, Demae._

Opening her eyes, tears trailing down her cheeks, she watched as Crow lifted Damien's soul from his body. At once his face became peaceful as he gazed at Demae. _Don't feel guilty. None of this was your fault. Please…sing me home?_

Demae nodded, swallowing the lump of sorrow that was lodged in her throat. She thought back on one of her last days in her home, when she, Kurama and Nikoli were traveling. Voice cracking as she sobbed, she began to sing.

_Home and hearth, lead me on,  
Lead me somewhere I belong;  
__A home with family, loving and bright,  
__A friendly fire, with warmth and light._

_Home and hearth, show me the way,  
__The way to a safe place I can stay  
__To laugh, to sing, to play, to dance,  
__To give blooming love a chance._

_Home and hearth, is it true?  
__Is it true that it is my due  
__To have such things as family and friends  
__Given to me until my days are at an end?_

Damien's soul gave a small, satisfied sigh. _And my days are at an end. Tell my father and brother than I love them, and to not be sad. One day we will all meet again._

And with those parting words, Crow carried Damien up and away until Demae could no longer hear his wings. Demae watched them go before letting loose a heart-wrenching sob as she hung on to Damien's body, unable to believe he was gone. She was drawn from her sorrow at the light touch of Bishquet's hand on her shoulder.

"Demae…Kurama still needs help. We've just lost one. Please don't make it two." Tears were leaking from the demoness' eyes, but nothing could match the little heap Devir had turned into, his father bent over him, trying to comfort him while large tears rolled off his own cheeks.

Trying to stem her own tears, Demae scooted over until she was next to Kurama. Using the small healing skills she had gained from the first phase Otter and Turtle, she began to heal the terrible burns and gashes that covered Kurama's body. She was able to help keep his condition from turning life-threatening, but wasn't able to do much else.

"Someone will have to get Yukina." Yusuke said after a moment, eyes red as he blinked furiously to clear his eyes.

"I will."

Everyone looked at Touya in surprise. "Give me a communicator or get in contact with Koenma. Tell him to make a portal at the place from before." With that, the ice master turned and began heading out of the town, wanting to make haste.

While Yusuke was talking to Koenma and explaining about what happened, it was left up to Chu, Devir, and Rinku to get Kurama and Damien's body in the house. Kurama was placed on a bed where Demae began tending him, using all of the herb lore she had. Damien's body was placed on the couch, a sheet draped over his still form until they could send his body home to be buried.

For the rest of the day, all Demae could do was sit by Kurama's beside, silently crying as she waited for Yukina to arrive. How could this day have begun so well, only to end in sorrow?


	7. End to an Unbalanced Peace

I was obviously in a music-y mood when I wrote this. They just seemed to fit though. Tell me what you think. Should I keep putting songs in my chapters? Or was this just annoying?

Thank you to all who reviewed. It made my happy, especially since three of my fav authors read this. You know who you are! That you so much Bish, Lupin, and Spirit!

And double thanks to Bish, who helped my correct this chapter. Love ya!

* * *

Bish sighed, cracking open red-rimmed eyes before snuggling back against the warm body beside her. He was asleep now, and she was glad. Once he woke, she knew he'd return to sorrow. She was happy that for just a few hours last night, she could help him forget. He had grieved enough, and he had needed a break. They both had. So she had comforted him in the best way she knew how. Propping herself up on one elbow, she smoothed his shaggy hair away from his face. She was suddenly startled out of her thoughts by a loud knock on her bedroom door. Frowning, she wrapped a sheet around herself and climbed out of bed to answer it. She peered outside before her eyes narrowed and her ears went flat.

"Hiei." She murmured before looking down.

"Onna…" he began, not liking the fact she had called him by his actual name.

"I'll be out in a bit. Just go." She said before stepping back and shutting the door in his face.

She leaned against the wooden door frame, letting out a long sigh. After a moment, she heard him walk away. That had hurt, but now she had Devir to think about. She couldn't go chasing after some demon that had nothing but physical interest in her. With a small sigh, she locked the door and climbed back into bed. She didn't want to face reality just yet.

* * *

Demae looked up when she heard someone walk into the room. Rubbing at her gritty eyes, she stood to greet a woman she had never seen before. She was a small lady, with sea-green hair and innocent red eyes. She named herself as Yukina before she moved over to the injured man in the bed. Demae fidgeted, unsure as to what she should do. All night she had remained by Kurama's bedside, never sleeping, doing anything she could for him. Now that Yukina was here, she felt useless.

Deciding that maybe Yukina would like to be alone, Demae quietly left the room. However, as soon as she was out in the hall, she found herself shoved to the side by an irate fire demon as he stalked down the hall away from Bish's room. She watched him as he left the house, brows drawn down as she frowned. "What has his panties in a bunch?" she muttered to herself quietly as she moved to the sitting room, rubbing the shoulder that had been painfully acquainted with the wall.

In the sitting room, she plopped down. The room was empty for the moment, which she was glad for. Everyone was either sleeping or grieving in their own way. She rubbed at eyes that were sore from lack of sleep, but couldn't bring herself to lie down. Her mind was haunted by the smiling face of Damien as he left this world. It was the thing she hated most about being able to see the dead. She had to watch as they left their loved ones. At home, it was called a gift. Because of her, no one in her village was alone when they died. But to her, this was only a curse. All of a sudden, a song she had heard while with Bish came to mind, and she was unable to help but utter the lyrics.

"_One at a time, constants become surreal.  
__One at a time, heart attacks are concealed.  
__I can see that I lose the joys of life, one at a time.  
__Suicides are revealed, you will see that I lost another life.  
__But tonight…I'll let you tear it up, if you don't wake me up.  
__But if you tear it, we can't repair it.  
__So please don't wake me 'til someone cares. But no one cares.  
__One at a time, I watch them all forget.  
__One at a time, I'm lost in little deaths.  
__It's the place that I, I forget my life.  
__Like tonight…I'll let you tear it up, if you don't wake me up.  
__But if you tear it, we can't repair it.  
__So please don't wake me 'til someone cares. But no one cares.  
__Will put the flood behind me, put out the fire inside me.  
__Will put the flood behind me, put out the fire inside me.  
__I'll let you tear it up, I'll let you break it up, if you don't wake me up.  
__But if you tear it, we can't repair it.  
__So please don't wake me 'til someone cares.  
__Now no one cares. Cares, oh!  
__I'll let you tear it up, if you don't wake me up.  
_'_Cause it's apparent that you don't care and it sunk into me,  
_'_Cause I don't care. Now no one cares."  
__(The Missing Frame, AFI.)_

A choked sob emerged from Demae's lips as she ended her song. To her, it was poignant, haunting and fit this situation all too well. Her normally pleasant and smooth voice had become shaky and cracked in sorrow. Damien's death had touched her deeply, despite the fact she hadn't known him all that well. Maybe it was simply the thought of what could have been mingled with his death and Nikoli's betrayal.

Suddenly not able to stay here, she stood and stumbled outside, forgetting her jacket in her haste to get out, to be anywhere but here. She felt stifled in there, among everyone and their grief. It was choking her, pressing down upon her like it carried the weight of the world. To her, it felt as if she should bear the brunt of all this. It was her fault that Damien was dead and Kurama wounded. If only she hadn't followed Nikoli outside. Then would they all still be together? Would she still be ignorant of Nikoli's double life? She wasn't sure, but this was a lot for her slender shoulders to bear.

Suddenly, it was as if the weight were real. Demae gasped for breath, falling to her knees in the cold snow. She felt as if she was being crushed, as if the very air was being forced from her lungs or as if someone was squeezing the life out of her heart. Why? Why did all of this have to happen to her? She had been happy at home, at being a simple Crow Woman. Now she was caught up in things she wished would just disappear. Gazing up at the sky as she wrapped her arms around herself, she felt hot tears as they fell down her cheeks, leaving burning trails behind that threatened to freeze in the cold air. Taking a deep breath, she staggered back up again. She needed to get back inside, where it was warm, and where she could find comfort. But something kept her standing where she was, shivering in the frozen air.

* * *

Bishquet sighed as she dressed. A few hours after Hiei had left, Devir had gotten up and had gone who knows where with his father. Now she had no excuse to avoid Hiei. As she walked around her home barefoot, grabbing breakfast, she spotted a lone figure out in the snow. Grabbing a cloak in one hand and a bagel in the other, she trotted outside, abruptly dumping the cloak upon the shaking shoulders of Demae. Why the girl had come out here without a jacket, Bish didn't ask. She only nodded at Demae's thankful look while chewing on her bagel. She then left the girl, having sensed a brooding demon near by.

She found him where she expected him, in the only tree in the whole village. The thing was pathetic, leafless and bowed by the wind. It was a gnarled thing, but tough. And every spring it managed to send out tiny shoots and flowers for a few weeks. The stolid fire demon just seemed to fit. Hiei knew she was there; she did nothing to conceal her aura, after all. But he didn't look at her, preferring to keep his eyes closed and his arms crossed.

As Bishquet watched him, she couldn't help but think of her situation. She loved Hiei. Yes, loved. And she'd had plenty of time to make sure that was what it was. At first, she had thought it to be a simple infatuation. She'd had many, and this looked to be no different. However, it lasted, dogging her and eating away at her defenses. So she let him in. He only wanted her for pleasure, though, not love. She had grown tired of it, and so very lonely. Despite this, she had thought her heart would break when she found out he wasn't coming when she went back home. In the end, though, it hadn't mattered. Devir had popped up. It wasn't something she had planned, it had just happened.

…Was it possible to love two people?

How conflicted she felt! It was as if her heart was in the middle of a tug-of-war. She had nowhere to turn, and no idea what she was going to do. To choose would break what was left of her demonic heart, so she stalled. It was the coward's way out, she knew, but she was afraid of doing anything else. So instead of staying and speaking with Hiei like she ought to, she turned and went back inside, unable to bear the accusing silence.

* * *

The day passed on quietly. There were no more commotions and everyone pretty much avoided each other. Yukina did what she could for Kurama and soon left, instructing Demae in his care, since she seemed to be the only one around who felt up to caring for the kitsune.

Once Yukina was gone, Demae allowed herself to look over Kurama. His condition was nowhere as dire as it had been only that morning. His chest still carried an angry red wound, but it no longer appeared life-threatening. Sighing, she sat in the chair that was placed by the window. It was very late and there was no moon, which caused the stars to shine brilliantly in the midnight sky. Hearing a groan, she fixed her eyes back on Kurama, frowning. Yukina had said he should stay asleep for another day…

Standing up, she hurried to his bedside, bending over him just as one bleary green eye snapped open, confusion swirling in those depths. Groaning again, he pressed a hand to his head as his eye snapped shut. Taking a deep breath, the wounded man sat up, getting a bearing on his surroundings.

"What happened?" he asked.

_The moment I said it.  
The moment I opened my mouth.  
Lead in your eyelids  
Bulldoze the life out of me.  
I know what you're thinking.  
But darling you're not thinking straight.  
Suddenly things just happened, we can't explain…_

She hesitated, biting her lip, wondering how to tell him if he didn't remember.

"Nikoli…he attacked you and Damien before he left. Damien died." She whispered.

The look that flared to life in Kurama's eyes made Demae reel back in shock and just a bit of fear. There were so many emotions fighting for dominance in that verdant gaze. The pain of his injures, of Damien having died. The shame of not realizing what exactly his son had planned, of not realizing his strength. The anger that one of his blood could turn out so traitorous. And finally, the utter despair. Demae could read it so easily. But then Kurama's gaze hardened, pushing out everything but a cold determination. He began to climb out of bed, batting away Demae as she tried to make him stay put. She knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to go after his son. But he couldn't! He wouldn't last a minute in his condition!

"It's not your fault! Please, lay back down. Things just happen…we can't predict them all!"

_It's not even light out but you've somewhere to be  
No hesitation…no I've never seen you like this.  
And I don't like it…I don't like it...I don't like it at all._

The demon ignored her. He acted like a man with a duty he was honor-bound to follow. Demae shook her head, helpless as she leaned against the wall. What was he doing? He needed to sit down and think through things clearly. But all he could see was his son's betrayal, thrown right in his face. She could tell he wanted answers straight from his son, but Demae knew that if Nikoli ever saw Kurama again, especially in this condition, the half-breed would strike him dead, and that thought chilled Demae to the bone.

_Just put back the car keys…or somebody's gonna get hurt.  
Who are you calling at this hour  
Sit down, come round, I need you now.  
We'll work it all out, together.  
But we're getting nowhere tonight.  
Now sleep, I promise it'll all seem better…somehow…in time._

Kurama was pacing now, fully dressed. He had pulled out a compact from somewhere and was quietly arguing with someone on the other side. Demae pushed a strand of auburn hair behind one ear as she watched him. Who was he talking to? The ogre? Botan? Koenma himself? She shook her head, fixing Kurama with a mournful stare. The fox seemed to sense the look he received from Demae. He glanced over his shoulder to see her, back slumping for a moment as he let his resolve flee, but he soon straightened it again. It seems he was determined to go through with this.

"Kurama, please. Let's talk about this with the others. We can work something out. I know we can." She pleaded, though her words seemed to fall on deaf ears.

_It's not even light out  
Suddenly…oh, you've somewhere to be.  
No hesitation…no I've never seen you like this.  
You're scaring me…you're scaring me…you're scaring me…to death._

The demon began to grow frenzied. It was obvious he was meeting resistance from Koenma, and he didn't like it one bit. A snarl seemed to form on his face and his aura radiated anger and menace. Instinctively, Demae shrank back whenever he happened to look her way. His eyes were molten gold. It looked frightening in his normally pleasant face. He was no longer the Kurama she knew. Swallowing sharply, she could feel the burn of tears again as they gathered at her eyes.

_Don't…oh (smash)…  
Please don't…oh (I do, please, another one)  
Don't…oh (smash)…  
Please don't…oh (I do, please, another one)_

Kurama seemed to smell the tears, no matter how hard Demae tried to hide them. With one last growl into the compact, it was shut, Kurama hanging up on whoever was on the other end. Eyes that still burned gold looked her way before softening. As the demon walked towards her, Demae pressed back as far into the wall as she could manage. No, it wasn't the Kurama she knew. This person was alien to her. It was the Youko, though he hadn't completely been released. The man knelt in front of her before wiping away the single tear that rolled down one pale cheek.

"I will be leaving. Don't break. Stay strong for me." He whispered before standing and leaving the room.

Quickly scrambling to her feet, Demae followed Kurama, quietly begging for him to stop, to not be so foolish. What could he hope to accomplish by doing this? At least take someone else to help! Surely Hiei would go, or Bish, or Yusuke. Anyone! She just didn't want him to go alone. He ignored her pleas, however, and simply opened the door before walking out. Demae stood at the entrance, arms wrapped tightly around her body as she watched Kurama disappear into the blizzard that was brewing. And then he was lost to her.

_I'm losing you.  
Trust me on this one  
I've got a bad feeling  
Trust me on this one  
You're gonna throw it all away…  
With no hesitation  
(Smash)_

_(The Moment I Said It, Imogen Heap)_


	8. Heartbreak and Bloody Roses

Hey. Finally finished this. Since no one complained about me putting songs in the last chapter, I did the same with this one. Oh, and check out Within Temptation. The band is awesome. And thank you Bish and Lupin for correcting this for me. I'd be lost without you two!

* * *

The day after Kurama left, Damien's funeral was held. It wasn't a large affair, since Keiko wanted a private affair with only family and friends in attendance. Once it was over, only Demae, Bishquet, and Touya went back north. The others stayed in either Ningenkai or Rekai. Once the three-some arrived, Touya departed for his home and Demae left to go back to Mother. She needed to further herself in her studies. This left only Bishquet in an empty house. The kitsune found herself wandering the rooms, looking almost lost. When she made her way back into the living room, a surprising sight was waiting for her.

_Sparkling angel, I believe  
You are my savior in my time of need.  
Blinded by faith, I couldn't hear  
All the whispers, the warnings so clear._

Hiei was lounging on the chair. Bish stopped in the doorway, watching him. He knew she was there, despite the fact that he seemed asleep. Her expression hardened slightly at the sight of him. When she had first set her eyes on the fire Koorime, she had thought him a saint, a creature that had been made by the gods just to grace the unworthy with his presence. He had been perfect, and when he had begun to show a slight interest in her, she had jumped at the chance, ignoring how cruel he could sometimes be.

_I see the angels. I'll lead them to your door.  
There is no escape now. No mercy no more.  
No remorse 'cause I still remember  
The smile when you tore me apart._

Then there came the day Hiei had informed her that he had no interest in this relationship becoming permanent. He only wanted her for one thing, and that was to sate his needs. Bish had put on a smile, hiding the whirlwind of emotions that were going through her mind. Through her daze, though, she had noted one thing. Hiei had his trademark smirk in place. He didn't care if he hurt her. She wasn't important to him. However, Bish had kept trying. Maybe she could change him and he could learn to care for her.

_You took my heart,  
Deceived me right from the start  
You showed me dreams.  
I wished they'd turn into real.  
You broke the promise  
And made me realize  
It was all just a lie._

However, as time went by, nothing changed. As they had waited for Kurama to return with the new Raven, Bishquet had put all of her effort into changing Hiei. The only change she noticed was that he was a bit more tolerant towards her than others. But that was it. There was never any real emotion in his eyes when he looked at her. But she convinced herself she could live with it, that as long as she could be near him it would all be ok. But then she met Devir. She had tried to ignore him at first. She loved Hiei, right? But he was so very kind to her in ways Hiei was not. Her lonely heart cried out and Devir responded. After a time, the kitsune went easily into his arms. Hiei was being forgotten…but then he showed up again.

_Sparkling angel, I couldn't see  
Your dark intensions, your feelings for me.  
Fallen angel, tell me why?  
What is the reason, the thorn in your eye?_

And that led them to the now. What did he want, exactly? He'd made it clear he cared nothing about her. Taking a deep breath, she once again strode forward to stand in front of Hiei. "Why are you here?" she asked, thinly veiled annoyance in her voice as she crossed her arms. She wanted to know why he was here, why he decided he wanted to disrupt her now pleasant life.

The demon looked up, red eyes narrowed. "You have no business with that child." He ground out, voice like ice.

Bishquet matched him glare for glare. "What does it matter to you?" she spat out. "You don't care at all for me!"

"You're mine, and-"

"Yours?! Who the hell do you think you are? I am no one's but myself. No one will control me and no one will own me, especially not some heartless bastard like yourself. So you can deal with me being with Devir. My choices are my own to make, not yours."

Hiei immediately attacked back out of hurt, an emotion he rarely, if ever, felt. "Baka onna, you think Devir wants you for more than I did? So he is kind to you, but in the end, it doesn't matter. He still gets what he wants. You're just too gullible to realize this."

_I see the angels. I'll lead them to your door.  
There is no escape now. No mercy no more.  
No remorse 'cause I still remember  
The smile when you tore me apart.  
__You took my heart,  
Deceived me right from the start.  
You showed me dreams.  
I wished they'd turn into real.  
You broke the promise  
And made me realize  
It was all just a lie._

Bishquet staggered back as if she had received a blow; and in a way, she had. She stared at Hiei, hurt easily evident in her wide eyes. He had never spoken to her that way before. But it was more than that. He had managed to put doubt in her heart and it left her questioning the trust she put into Devir. Angry and hurt, she shot a baleful look at Hiei. "Just go. Don't come near me again." She whispered, looking down.

Smirking at the hurt he had caused, Hiei left, leaving the door open behind him. He hurt too, though it was something he would never show to the world. In his own, odd way, he had cared for her. To have her tell him he cared nothing for her was a blow to his small, dark heart. He had opened it ever so slightly to the kitsune and she had returned this by shattering that small area he had let her into. So he had to make her hurt too. That was simply his way.

_Could have been forever,  
Now we have reached the end.  
This world may have failed you.  
It doesn't give the reason why.  
You could have chose, a different path of life._

Once he was gone, Bishquet allowed herself to sink to her knees, leaning over so that her forehead was pressed to the shag carpet. There she allowed her tears free reign. That had to have been one of the most painful things she had ever done. She had let him go. He was no good for her. She could find happiness with Devir. But would she always regret what she had done? She didn't know. Stemming the flow of tears, she struggled up until she sat Indian-style on the floor. She had made her choice. She would stay with Devir. But then why did her heart still feel split into two?

_The smile when you tore me apart!  
__You took my heart,  
Deceived me right from the start.  
You showed me dreams.  
I wished they'd turn into real.  
You broke a promise  
And made me realize  
It was all just a lie.  
Could have been forever,  
Now we have reached the end._

_(Angels, Within Temptation)_

* * *

Demae sighed, wiping sweat from her brow as she hefted a large sword. It was two-handed and quite heavy. It had been a month since she had last seen Bishquet, and two since Kurama had disappeared. She had mastered the skills of the Spirits. However, since some of the guides had a fighting nature, such as Bear, Wolverine, and Wasp, Demae had to learn how to fight with sword and bow. She was still at a low level, but right now they were more focused on raising her endurance.

Grunting with effort, she raised the heavy weapon and began to perform the complicated form over again. Mother had taught it to her without the sword. It had seemed so easy then, but of course she wasn't lugging a weighty sword around at the time, either. She forced her tired body to go through the form two more times before she called it quits for the day. She set the bastard sword aside, looking longingly at the simple rapier she had been studying earlier that month. She was decent with that weapon, and it was so much lighter… Shaking her head, she forced herself to go to her cot, grabbing a towel to wipe herself off.

When she reached the room, the present on her bed didn't exactly register at first. However, after a moment, she began to detect the smell of flowers. Frowning, she looked to her small cot and spotted a bouquet of large, red roses. Frowning, she walked closer, draping the towel around her neck as she examined the blossoms. They were beautiful, she admitted to herself as she reached forward to stroke one soft petal. But as she drew her hand back, she gasped. Her fingers were now slick with blood. It was fresh, having had no time to congeal yet.

What did it mean? Was it a threat? Frown growing, she finally spotted a note half hidden under her bloody bouquet. She pulled it out and flipped it open, blue eyes scanning the paper.

_Dearest beloved,_

_It has been nearly two months since we departed. You must know I think of you every day? The people here are happier than ever. Their god has returned to them. You should see them, Demae. I bring them peace and prosperity. They run up to me in the street, thanking me. And it's so beautiful out here. You would love it, you know? These people have done so much since they broke away from the others and gave up their spirit guides. The walls are a pristine white, as are the buildings. They simply sparkle in the light. The city is kept clean and organized. I have told my people about you, and they are eager to meet the lovely lady I have described. In time, I hope you will come to forgive me. I do hope you enjoy your flowers, though they did get a little bloody in the process. The donor was rather feral at the time. _

_Forever yours,  
__Nikoli_

Demae hissed, eyes narrowing in uncharacteristic anger. She crumpled up the note before examining the roses closer. How could she have not noticed exactly whose blood it was? She had spent a night next to his bleeding body, so she should have easily detected it. Why hadn't she? Denial, probably. She wished she had powers like Hiei. Then she could burn the roses. But that was one thing the spirits did not control.

She immediately turned on her heel and left, seeking Mother. She found the old woman out in the snow. She paused, watching her. Demae had been here for around four months, and she still didn't know what exactly Mother was, no one did. Giving her head a firm shake, she walked forward. "Mother, Nikoli has sent me a…gift." She informed the woman, a disgusted look crossing her face. "Also, I need to contact Prince Koenma as soon as possible. The roses I was sent were covered in his blood.

Nodding, the blind woman turned and headed inside, obviously going to examine this 'gift' that Nikoli had sent. Demae didn't follow. Instead, she headed for Bishquet's home, knowing the arctic kitsune would have a way to contact the prince.

* * *

_I've been dreaming for so long,  
To find a meaning to understand.  
The secret of life,  
Why am I here to try again?_

Groaning, Kurama cracked open one green eye. The other was swollen shut and painful to the touch, so he left it alone. He was sitting on a cold stone floor, wrists shackled above him. His prison cell was set deep in the earth where his plants could not hope to reach him. Why had he fooled himself into thinking he could come back and right this wrong? He bitterly thought about his son, smiling slightly. Yes, despite it all, Nikoli was still his son. What could he do but try to contain the chaos his own blood had caused?

_Will I always, will you always  
See the truth when it stares you in the face?  
Will I ever, will I never free myself  
By breaking these chains?_

He laughed at himself, his one good eye gazing up at the ceiling of his cell. He had been a fool. His son truly believed that what he was doing was right, that he was helping his home. He should have remembered that one unarmed man defending his home was stronger than ten armed men, only this one man was a half demon with powers the kitsune had never seen. He glanced at his chains, idly tugging at them but easily giving up. His strength had been sapped and he had no reserves left to break these chains that bound him to this place of hate and pain.

_I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul,  
I'd turn it back, it's my fault.  
Your destiny is forlorn,  
Have to live till it's undone.  
I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul  
I'd turn it back and then at last I'll be on my way._

If only he could right all of this. He couldn't help but think it was his entire fault. He should have noticed the blackness that was forming in his son's heart, the discontent that nestled there. If he could, he would go back and do everything all over, raise Nikoli in a different way. If he could only do that, everything might have turned out all right. They would all still be at home, and maybe Demae wouldn't have had to go through all of this. She could have lived in peace with her family because there would have been no need for a Raven to emerge.

_I've been living for so long,  
Many seasons have passed me by.  
I've seen kingdoms through the ages  
Rise and fall, I've seen it all.  
__I've seen the horror; I've seen the wonders  
Happening just in front of my eyes.  
Will I ever, will I never free myself by making it right?_

He suddenly felt the weight of the years press down on him. He had seen so much, lived through enough to make anyone feel ancient. And now it seemed he was to be done in by his own flesh and blood. The irony of it all made him laugh, but it was a harsh sound, full of only pain and despair. He had always felt heavy with the guilt of his life as a thief. Was this, then, his due? Was this karma coming around to bite him in the ass? Maybe. Fate would see the humor in turning father against son, wouldn't it?

_I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul  
I'd turn it back, it's my fault.  
Your destiny is forlorn,  
Have to live till it's undone.  
I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul  
I'd turn it back and then at last I'll be on my way._

Stretching out his legs, he bit back a cry as they violently cramped. He'd been sitting that way for too long. How long had he been here, anyway? Time was disoriented for him. He didn't know night from day. He didn't even get regular meals, so he couldn't judge time by that. Maybe it had been years? Or it could have only been a few days. It made him feel helpless and that was a feeling he sorely despised. The chains clinked against the wall as he clenched his fists. The first chance he got, he would get out of here to get back to the others. But was that even possible?

_Jillian, our dream ended long ago.  
All our stories and all our glory I held so dear.  
We won't be together  
For ever and ever, no more tears.  
I'll always be here until the end.  
Jillian, no more tears...  
Jillian, no more tears..._

Maybe he would die and join his first love? His thoughts turned lovingly to Jillian. The woman had been his life-saver, his anchor in a time when he was away from everything he had ever known. She had been so full of life. He had been devastated when she had died. He could see her now, smiling at…no, she was frowning, crying.

"No, don't cry…" Kurama whispered to the darkness.

He sensed a great sadness in her, at the thought that he just might give everything up. He shook his head. No, he wouldn't give up. He wanted her happy. He'd go on living for her. But he sensed that there was something else bothering her. Was it their son? Yes, that was it. Jillian was worried that Kurama would leave the boy as he was. The kitsune shook his head. No, he would not leave Nikoli. He would either cure his son, or rid him of the madness he carried. Either way, the boy would find peace. After he decided that, Jillian bequeathed him with a smile and began to fade. Clutching at the wisps, Kurama shook his head before suddenly relaxing at her parting words.

"_Let me go, Kurama. Looking into the past only causes pain. You have a bright future ahead of you, one without me. Remember me fondly, but move on."_

_I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul  
I'd turn it back, it's my fault.  
Your destiny is forlorn,  
Have to live till it's undone.  
I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul  
I'd turn it back and then at last I'll be on my way._

_(Jillian, Within Temptation)_


	9. The Beginning of Fate

Aha! I return with a new chapter of ODAC! I hope you all are happy. I know Bishie-chan was. I've been a little distracted lately, what with a research paper due and Bish absent from the computer, so I haven't felt like writing until now. So I hope my readers are still with me, what few I have. Oh, and as an explination for the title, this chapter is the beginning of Demae's fate, how she's finally asserting herself in her effort to save Kurama, as Bish put it. Thank you Bish for the wonderful title!

Please enjoy. And review. That's always nice.

* * *

Demae fretted, legs swinging back and forth from her perch on the window. She had contacted Koenma about an hour ago and had been whisked right back to Rekai. She had explained what had happened to Koenma and then she was sent to wait. But if there was one thing about Demae, it was the fact she hated waiting, especially for something like this. It didn't help that she was completely alone, which left her mind to wonder and create the most horrible things that could be happening to Kurama right at that moment. She had _known_ something bad would happen to Kurama. She should have never let him leave. She should have just yelled out to wake the others, who could restrain him. But she hadn't, and it was never healthy to look back and wonder. Hindsight was 20/20, after all.

Groaning, she tilted her head back, letting it connect with the glass behind her. This was just one huge mess and she felt like she was at the center of it. Everything was revolving around her, ready to swirl down the metaphysical drain and take her along with it. The one question she had to answer was what she was going to do. She could now create her own portals. Raven had shown her in a dream one night, so not even Mother knew of her knowledge. It would be so easy to simply go back home. But once there, what would she do? Could she convince the people in her village of who she was? Or maybe she should just go straight to Nikoli and agree to be with him as long as he let Kurama go. That seemed the simplest course of action, and she could always try and control Nikoli from there. Maybe. Though there was the problem of his über demonic strength…

No matter. She knew she would figure something out…eventually. She just needed to speak with Koenma first and see what he was going to do about it. Once she knew his plans, she could form her own. But until then, she had to deal with waiting…all this blasted waiting! It was fraying at her already worn nerves, and now she was reduced to fidgeting. Thankfully, a distraction soon presented itself. As the door creaked open, Demae turned to see who it was. Botan walked in, prompting a small, frazzled smile from the girl. The ferry girl was in her normal pink kimono, oar in hand.

"I thought you might enjoy a little company. It gets lonely just waiting by yourself."

Demae nodded. "Yeah. I just can't help but worry. I mean, Kurama has been gone for two months. Just thinking about what Nikoli has done to him makes my skin crawl. But…I can't seem to hate Nikoli for what he has done, either. He is doing what he thinks is right. I cannot fault him for that, even though I see his methods as wrong. It got me to thinking a lot about good and evil. There is no absolute good, nor evil. It all depends on what side you are on. I mean, we would see Nikoli as bad. However, that's the way he sees us, since we want to stop him. I suppose everything is just perspective." She mused.

Botan blinked, expression going slack as she took in this information. "Ok, Demae. You've just weirded me out! I'm not used to you going so deep, there. I was almost afraid you were lost."

Demae simply rolled her eyes. "You would." She retorted, sliding off of the window sill. Then in a small voice, she added, "Did I really scare you?"

"Oh! No, no, of course not, Demae! I was only teasing, silly. Though truthfully, I'm more used to those kinds of observations coming from Kurama, if said a bit more eloquently."

"His speech is eloquent, isn't it?"

"Of course. It has to be, since he likes to play those minds games. What fun is the game without the big words and dry wit?"

"None, of course." Demae pointed out, chuckling. "Kurama does seem the type to be put out if you don't understand his logic. Though his train of thought can be a bit difficult to follow…"

Botan nodded. "Well, he is a demon. They don't think like humans do. I don't think any of us can ever really understand what goes through a demon's mind, except for another demon."

When Demae opened her mouth to respond, Botan held up her hand, stopping the girl. The ferry woman tilted her head ever so slightly to the side, gaze distant, as if she were trying to listen to something. Then, seemingly satisfied, Botan dropped her hand to her lap. "Koenma wants you now. I'll take you." She said, rising and opening the door, knowing Demae was right behind her. The two women quickly scurried down the hallway until they quietly entered Koenma's office. The god was sitting behind his desk, looking over his folded arms at the two.

"You have my permission to go after Kurama."

Demae, who had been all set to argue, faltered. "Wha-what?" She had been expecting Koenma to tell her not to worry about Kurama, that he would get himself out or that they would go get him once all of her training was complete.

"You can go after him."

"Just like that?"

"Yes, Demae. Just like that. I'll be sending Bishquet, Hiei, Devir, and Botan with you."

Botan stiffened, shock crossing her features. "Me, sir? But wouldn't I be more useful here?"

Koenma shook his head. "Your skills will come in handy, I think. Besides, with you there, you can come and report to me easily and keep me informed of what is going on. Also, I know you have been learning healing from Yukina, which I'm sure will come in handy as well."

"Oh, of course sir. Um, I suppose I'll go change my clothes." She said, leaving the office and heading to her room, leaving Koenma and Demae alone.

"Thank you, Koenma."

"Oh, don't thank me. I'm only sending you into danger. Now, Hiei will continue teaching you the sword. You'll have to find someone else to help you with your others weapons, though, I'm afraid. Mother has said you are to continue to learn the two-handed sword and to improve on your bow skills. She also said to add daggers and a quarter staff to your list of weapons."

The girl groaned, but nodded. "I figured she'd do that. Well, thank you anyway, Koenma. I guess I'll go help Botan. Let me know when the others get here." Then she left the god to his business, seeking out the ferry woman once again.

A short time later found the two women in Botan's room. Demae had found herself explaining her world to Botan, who didn't seem to know much about it except for some snippets she had heard from Koenma. The ferry woman seemed amazed that Demae and her people had no sort of spirit power. The girl had just begun to explain about when the children received their animal spirit guides when there was a knock upon the door. The two females looked over in question to see George poking his head through the door.

"Lord Koenma told me to come get you, Demae. Hiei, Bishquet, and Devir are here now, and you'll be leaving soon," the blue ogre said before slipping away again to report back to Koenma.

Demae looked at Botan before scrambling off the bed and hurriedly following the ogre, Botan on her heels. They were really about to leave. She was really going to return to her home, where she was most familiar. Now it would be the others who would be in a strange world with strange customs. However, these thoughts did nothing to make Demae feel better. All she could really think about at the moment was how they were to rescue Kurama.

She and Botan quickly reached Koenma's office again to see the other waiting impatiently. Demae could immediately detect the tension running through the room. Bishquet was by Devir and Hiei was in his normal spot by the window. However, his red eyes would send heated glares toward Devir. Demae frowned, not liking this at all. This would turn into a disaster, she just knew it. But she'd just have to deal with it for a while. She'd just keep a close eye on them and make sure nothing got started. Nodding to herself, she looked up at Koenma.

"You are ready to go, then?" he asked them, leaning over his desk to look at them. At Demae's nod, Koenma then transferred his attention to Botan. "Alright, then. Summon a portal and be on your way. Make sure to report to me daily, Botan."

The ferrywoman nodded, summoning the portal that would take them right to Demae's home. Once it was fully formed, Botan motioned for Demae to go forward first. Giving Botan a smile, the girl stepped forward, this time prepared for the portal as she fell. She landed upon her feet on the other side and confidently walked forward, peering around. They were back in Kalindos, where all of this crazy mess had started. Even as she emerged from the portal, people were coming forward, some alarmed, some curious. However, two women seemed to be waiting just for them. It was Kalindos' Crow woman and a younger woman Demae had never met.

"Demae! You really are here! Jariva said my dream heralded your return, but I couldn't be sure…Never mind, you are here now," she said before looking beyond Demae at her companions. The woman couldn't help but stare. These people seemed so very different than what any of them were used to. Shaking her head, she motioned for Demae and the others to follow her. "Come, we have much to discuss."

Nodding, the girl followed the older woman, the others following behind them. Botan, Devir, and Bishquet seemed relaxed, but Hiei seemed on edge as usual. Demae noticed this, but made no comment on it. The fire demon was almost always on guard, so it wasn't really anything strange. They were all led to the Crow woman's home in the tree canopies. They all settled down, though Hiei stood at the door, and looked to the woman.

"What is it you wish to discuss?" Demae asked politely.

The older woman pressed her lips together. "The Descendants are growing bolder. They now have an organized leader and have been making raids on Asermos for a couple of months now. We need you now more than ever."

Demae frowned, crossing her arms. The raids would coincide when Nikoli had returned. That made sense, she supposed. Her frown then deepened. These people were counting on her, and it was a scary thought. She never wanted any of this, she didn't want this job. She didn't want to be responsible for all of these people. But Raven had given her no choice, so she'd have to tough this out. She was obviously the best suited, since Raven had chosen her, even though Demae still thought there could still be someone much more qualified than she. Lifting his blue eyes, she noticed the Crow woman seemed to be waiting for a reply.

"First things first. We need to get Kurama back."

The woman looked at her strangely. "What does Kurama have to do with anything?" she asked. This led to Demae explaining the situation, causing the woman to pale in shock. "Surely not Nikoli," she murmured in denial and despair. "He had been such a promising young man…I should have noticed how unstable he was…"

"Don't blame yourself. He was a good actor. Not even Hiei noticed," Demae comforted, resting a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Now, can I be left alone with my friends? We need to discuss what we are going to do."

The Crow woman nodded before leaving the house and descending down to the forest floor where she would speak with the Elders. Once she had left, Demae looked to the others. "I have to go in alone."

The protests began immediately. It was obviously too dangerous. She should take one of them for her protection, since she wasn't fully trained yet. Demae shook her head, fixing them all with a look. "No, I must do this. If any of you come, Nikoli will become suspicious. I have to do this alone. However, if it will make you feel any better, you can stay near the city. You just cannot enter. Nikoli will know if any of you step foot within his domain." There were a few grumbles about this, but the decision was finally accepted. Seeing this, Demae nodded. "Good. We leave tonight."

* * *

Demae adjusted the strap of her pack, checking everything out. She glanced up at the sky, noting the full moon that would light their path. It cast a cold, silvery look over everything, creating a pure, pristine landscape. A shadow past beside her, breaking the illusion. Blue eyes turned to regard Hiei who had stepped up to her side. "The others are ready," he said before flitting off. Nodding to herself, Demae began down the path, knowing the others would follow. 

She had picked this time of night so that she would arrive in the morning. It gave her more time to look for Kurama. She planned on leaving Nikoli's city as soon as she could. She hated deceiving people, but she would have to tell Nikoli that she would stay with him. Maybe she could get him to let Kurama go free. Then she could try to get herself out. She was sure she could. No one beside her friends and Nikoli could match her powers, so as long as she didn't have to face Nikoli, she was sure she'd be able to get away. Maybe. She made sure not to convey her concerns to her friends. She knew that if she told them, there was no way they'd let her go through with this.

The trek with silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Talk was not needed, and everyone felt the press of danger and tension upon their shoulders. It was so thick it was almost suffocating. And the deal between Hiei and Bishquet only made things worse. Demae just chose to ignore the problem for now. However, if she got away from Nikoli, you could be sure she'd try to fix whatever was going on there. There was no sense in allies fighting.

When the dawn found them, they were at the edge of the forest, looking out over Nikoli's white city. It really was as beautiful as he had said. It seemed to glow in the early morning light, dazzling the eyes with its brilliance. "Really, do the people who live there constantly need sunglasses?" Devir asked, squinting as he tried to look at the city. No one else made a comment in reply, instead choosing to look about for any dangers.

Nodding, Demae looked to the others. "Camp here. I will go on alone. This is the best vantage point you'll have. I suggest having a watch at all times so you will always know what it going on," she said, then smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon, I promise." And with that, she set off, her figure becoming smaller and smaller the closer she came to the city.

She soon reached the huge gate and looked up at it before looking at the guard. "Tell Nikoli that his Demae is here!" she called out. The guard seemed startled and darted off, hopefully going to tell his master that she was here. After a few minutes, the large doors creaked open. A man stood to greet her and bowed low. As he straightened, he smiled, his face full of worship. "Lady Demae, I am here to take you to Lord Nikoli."

Smile strained, Demae stepped forward, turning to watch the doors close behind her. She then looked forward again. "Well, Demae, welcome home," she muttered under her breath before following her guide into the depths of the pristine city.


	10. Unanticipated Reunion

Sorry I didn't have this up sooner. FF wouldn't let me upload new documents. Thankfully, I found a way around it for you guys! Also, I tried to focus a bit more on Bish and Devir.

Review please! I see too few as it is...

* * *

Bish stood in a tree, one hand pressed up against the trunk for balance as she looked out at the white city before them. Her ears were pressed flat against her skull and her tail was bushier than normal, making it quite obvious the kitsune was upset about something. Some of it was due to the fact Demae had been gone for three days without any contact. Bish had been sure the girl would be back by now, and it was really worrying her. 

However, a great deal of her distress came from the two males in the little group. There was a great amount of tension between Devir and Hiei, and it wasn't good. Every minute Bish expected a fight to break out between the two. It really did make no sense. She had broken things off with Hiei, and he knew it if what that horrible day was anything to go by. She had cried over that demon one too many times, so now she was leaving him behind. Devir was a lot more caring and considerate than Hiei could ever be.

Sighing, she took one last look at the city before leaping to the ground, her light landing one a neko could be proud of. Standing at the base of the tree was her current lover. He was leaning against the thick trunk, hands behind his head as he observed Bishquet through lowered eyelids. After a moment, he opened his eyes fully and straightened, walking towards the kitsune before slinging an arm around her.

"Thinking sad thoughts again? It doesn't really suit you," he murmured in her ears, causing Bish to shrug.

"I'm just worried about Demae, that's all. She's been gone for three days, Devir. I'm beginning to really worry about her. What if Nikoli found her out? Then what will we do?" she asked, frown growing.

"All we can do is wait. If we try and enter the city, Demae will be found out for sure. But don't you worry. Demae knows how to take care of herself now. She's had all this training and can now hold her own in a fight against one of us, even if she can't beat us yet. She'll be ok. You just have to believe in her, beloved."

Bishquet rested her head on Devir's shoulder. "I know, but it's so hard sometimes. She's my friend."

"Just try. That's all you need to do," he said, laying a quick kiss on the tip of Bishquet's nose. "Now, Botan is cooking dinner soon, and I know you're hungry."

Just as he said that, Bish's stomach gave a loud rumble, causing the demoness to chuckle slightly. Devir's surprised look turned to one of amusement as he led the kitsune to the campfire when Botan was concocting something…They didn't know what. Hiei was brooding as usual nearby, shooting Devir a hot glare. Yes, it was like usual. But that glare of Hiei's was really starting to piss Bishquet off. One of these days, she was going to go off on that fire demon and Hiei would be surprised at what she could do. But that was for later. For the moment, Bish was content to sit at Devir's side and cuddle against him, taking in the comfort he was offering.

But even still, she couldn't help but wonder what Demae was doing right at that very moment.

* * *

Demae was rather annoyed.

Ever since she had arrived three days ago, she'd been constantly monitored and pampered, and she couldn't say it was something she enjoyed. Even worse, she'd _yet_ to see Nikoli at all. Turns out, he wasn't even here at the moment. According to Alenial, Nikoli had gone to Makai for a bit of training.

Just thinking of Nikoli's right-hand man made Demae shiver. Alenial just seemed to radiate an unpleasantly creepy aura. She tried to make sure she was never in the same room as he was if she could help it. He looked appealing enough, could even be termed handsome, but his smile was brittle and his eyes as lifeless as the stones they resembled. It was as if he were truly not alive, or like he was soulless. So she simply avoided him at all costs.

So for three days her time had been occupied by avoiding Alenial, getting pampered by her new array of servants, and trying to learn her way around Nikoli's ivory palace. And over these three days, she had come to learn just how much he meant to the Descendants. Once or twice she had been allowed to wander the city, and everywhere she went she would receive warm greetings from the city folks. They seemed so overjoyed that she was here. The people would also regale her of the things Nikoli had accomplished in the time he had been here. Could the man who ruled here really be as bad as she thought he was?

While here, she had been forced to rethink her stance on Nikoli. He had his reasons for doing things, and he thought he was doing good. And maybe if he went about doing things a bit differently, more people would think he was doing good too. She supposed it all depended on whose side you were on and what you believed in. She really could understand him, and to an extent, she could sympathize with how he felt. But only to an extent. There were just some things she could not forgive.

Hearing movement in the outer chamber of her room, she cracked open one eye. She had been leaning on her elbow at her new vanity, her face pillowed in her hand while one of her suffocating attendants brushed her hair. At first she had refused to let the girl touch her hair, but after an hour of the silent reproachful looks the girl sent her, Demae finally relented. The young attendant seemed so happy that she reminded Demae of a puppy wagging its tail so much that its body couldn't help but wiggle too.

"Go see who is outside in the receiving chamber," she commanded. It hadn't taken her long to learn how to act, even though she was still uncomfortable ordering people around. However, if it made them happy and feel like they had a purpose, who was she to crush their dreams?

After only a few moments, the girl returned on light feet. "There is a courier from Master Alenial, mistress. He says Master Alenial has sent you a gift at Lord Nikoli's request."

Demae frowned slightly. What could they be sending her now? And did this mean Nikoli was back? "Fine, let him in."

"Of course, Mistress Demae."

The courier was hurriedly ushered into Demae's bedchamber, a box in his hands. He was staring at Demae as if his eyes would pop from his skull, and this only annoyed Demae further. They all seemed to think she was their goddess, some nonsense Nikoli had placed into their heads.

"Well?" she snapped, regaining the poor man's attention. He seemed to pale when he realized what he had been doing and offered a stuttered apology. He then quickly placed the box down and scurried away as fast as he could.

She motioned for one of her attendants to bring it to her so she could open it. Really, the courier could have least given it to her. Well, no matter. With curious eyes, she studied the box that was now in her lap. It was wrapped in delicate, silk-like blue paper which had whimsical, multicolored butterflies flitting here and there. A large, silk bow was wrapped around the whole thing. Whoever had wrapped this had gone to a lot of trouble.

Demae carefully removed the bow and paper, setting that aside before staring at the box. She felt a sudden foreboding, and wasn't sure why. Really, she needed to open up the box and just get it over with. But still she hesitated. It was as if her hand was refusing to move and she just couldn't force it. But finally, gathering her nerve, she lifted her hand to flick off the top, revealing…something furry?

Eyes widening in realization, Demae suddenly put the top back on the box and stood. "Everyone, leave," she said, fixing all of the attendants with a look. Meekly, they all left without a protest, which slightly surprised her. However, she took this in stride and locked the door so that no one would disturb her. She then walked quickly to her bed, upon which she set down the box and removed the top again, gazing at the creature that slept fitfully within. He was in horrible shape, with deep lacerations covering his soft hide. She could even see his ribs where they protruded from his sides. Troubled, she tried to contact Raven, knowing she would have the answers.

Slowing her breathing, Demae sat on the floor. Closing her eyes, she imagined that Raven was before her in all of her glory. However, when she opened her eyes, she was alone in a misty world. She really disliked being in this place, where it was clammy and cold and so totally deserted. Shivering, she stood, her gaze finding no one else in the bleak landscape. She had so hoped Raven would come…

_Are we forgetting about me?_

Demae jumped, spinning around to come face to face with Crow. Well, she certainly hadn't expected him. She hadn't heard from him since…

_He is fine. He went on peacefully. You have no more need to mourn, little one. Now, tell me of your troubles. _

She sighed. Crow was right; he always was. "I'm back home, or actually, I'm in the Descendant's city. I came to try and get Kurama back…and now I have him. Only I don't understand why he's the way he is."

Crow seemed to consider what she said, a thoughtful air around him. _He has been treated very badly, little one. He was forced to resume his simplest form. His mind has retreated to allow himself to heal. I am not sure how long he will remain this way. If you plan to escape, do it soon. I am sure Nikoli will expect you to try. _

"But if he expects that…why not do what he doesn't suspect? I think I will stay for a while longer, maybe act as if I don't know it is Kurama. I mean…I have never seen him in this form. For all Nikoli knows, I could have no idea Kurama could even become a fox."

Crow nodded. _It might work, but be careful. Just remember that I and the others will always support you. _

"I will. Thank you, Crow," Demae murmured before banishing the world and waking again in her room. As she stood, she had to hold back a cry as her legs cramped up. It seems she had been sitting there for much longer than she had thought. Realizing she was hungry, she crept to her door and unlocked it, pulling it open and startling the servants on the other side.

"I am hungry. Bring me something to eat. Oh, and something for my new pet. He needs food and water. And another thing, bring me a basin of warm water, a cloth, and the gentlest soap you can find," she ordered, then closed her door again, padding over to her bed.

After a few moments, there was a tentative knock on her door. Demae quickly went back to the door, snatched it open, and took the water, cloth and soap, leaving some thoroughly confused servants behind. Ignoring the woman who held her dinner, Demae knelt on the floor and carefully lifted the silver fox from the box, placing him in the warm water. She lathered the cloth then gently cleansed him, washing away all the dirt and dried blood.

Glancing over her shoulder at the attendants, she said, "Oh, I will also need a towel as well as first aid. Quickly now."

They hurried as she went back to tending Kurama. So by the time she was ready to lift him from the water, they had arrived with what she had asked for. Demae carefully wrapped him in the soft, fluffy towel, drying him off before tending to his wounds. Satisfied with his condition, she looked to the others.

"I'll have my dinner now."

The attendants were a bit confused, since their mistress was still sitting on the floor, but they obeyed, laying out her dinner before retreating. Demae chuckled as she watched the door close behind them. She was certainly throwing them for a loop with her odd behavior. Shaking her head, she quickly ate her meal before moving Kurama back to her bed so that he would be more comfortable.

Her expression sobered as she looked at him. He didn't seem to have suffered much bodily harm. Rather, Demae thought he had been injured mentally. The lacerations on him were bad, yes, but not life-threatening. It would take something a lot more to reduce Kurama to this, she was certain of it. But what had Nikoli done? She needed the help of a mind reader, like Hiei. Or the Hawk elder…Wait! She had the skills of a Hawk! She could try and help him…only she hadn't really had a chance to try on a normal person, much less one who was unwell.

Squaring her shoulders, she closed her eyes, focusing all her senses on Kurama. Mother had explained, of course, but they hadn't really had time to practice. So Demae supposed she'd just have to put her training to use and trust in what Mother had taught her.

She cast her mind towards Kurama's, slipping in with ease. It surprised her, because she knew he had many mental defenses to keep others out. However, as she moved along, she realized why she had gotten in without effort. Kurama's defenses had been totally demolished and ripped away. It had to have been extremely painful. But she only saw worse as she moved along to his memories. Someone had totally trashed Kurama's mind. It was terrible…Well, she'd soon have her answers. As she neared the place of deep thoughts and memories, a chant began to register.

_Dead, dead. They're all dead. Alone, all gone, dead… _

It was repeated over and over with hopeless despair. It even affected Demae, dragging down at her very soul. However, with an effort she shook it off and let her senses spread out. Surprisingly, she felt the residue energy of illusory magic. Obviously an illusion had been cast to convince Kurama that everyone else was dead. Whatever it was must have been horrible, and she didn't think she could bear to watch. So instead, she began to withdraw, using her healing skills to soothe the ragged wounds in his mind. She couldn't heal them all the way, but she could give the mind a kick-start in repairing itself. Also, Demae was sure that reassurances when he was awake would help to bring back the Kurama she knew.

Yawning, she opened her eyes, realizing night had fallen while she had been occupied. Shedding her gown and pulling on her sleepwear, she climbed into bed, pulling Kurama against her pillow so she could keep him near. Then she quietly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"So, has she tried to escape yet?"

Nikoli sounded slightly amused, which he was. He knew that as soon as Demae had been given Kurama that she would try and get away. And he knew she would fail. However, he did not receive the answer he had been looking for.

"No, she has not. Her attendants report that she simply washed the creature. There did not seem to be any recognition."

"Surely you jest, Alenial," Nikoli said in complete disbelief. The Demae he knew would not sit around idly.

The auburn-haired man before him shook his head. "No, I do not jest. At the moment she is sleeping. It does not look like she intends to leave anytime soon. Maybe she has given in?"

The half-breed shook his head. "No, that cannot be. Not my Demae. She has to be thinking of something…"

"I doubt it. If she were planning on doing anything, she would have left the first chance she got now that she has Kurama. We will keep a close eye upon her."

"You do that," he agreed. "And I will pay our Demae a visit tomorrow," he added, sounding anticipatory at the prospect. Yes, he had been waiting a long time to see his Demae again.


	11. Caught in the Illusion

Alrighty then! I am back. For now. I'm sorry it has taken so long. I suppose I wasn't in the right mindset, probably because I miss Bish. But I churned this out in two days, so maybe I can start updating regularly again!

Now, if you want a few good songs to listen to, I wrote this to Evil Angel and Dance with the Devil by Breaking Benjamin, as well as Angel of Darkness, which you can find by looking it up on youtube.

Oh, one thing. Some people have complained about the Devir/Bishquet/Hiei thing. So, do you guys want to see them more? Less? Maybe even a whole chapter with just them? Let me know in your reviews, ok?

* * *

Golden eyes blinked back at Demae, no flicker of recognition behind them. To all appearances, Kurama seemed like an average silver fox. How disappointing. It seemed that he had not come back to himself yet. Not that Demae expected him to. No, that would be too convenient, wouldn't it? As the fox went back to eating out of his silver bowl, Demae slumped back in her chair. What was she going to do? She couldn't leave yet, but she was sure the others were worried sick. There really was no way to contact them. She wished she had thought of something earlier.

Listlessly, she glanced around her room, noticing the disarray. She had chased away her attendants a while ago, and so no one had been in to clean her room. Demae felt bad about being so mean, but she needed some space. She wasn't some pampered lady who couldn't go two feet without someone acquiring her every need. Well, at least she'd get company, because she was positive that this would be noticed. Someone would be sent to advise her on letting the servants back, who were simply trying to do their job.

It was exactly what Demae wanted to happen.

As soon as whoever was sent entered her room, she'd demand to see Nikoli. She had to get things settled and see where he stood before she could even begin to think of a plan to leave. Besides, if she pretended to be agreeable with whatever he wanted, Demae was sure the guard would be relaxed, allowing her for an easier time of escaping.

There was a sudden knock on her door, causing her to jump in surprise. She had been expecting someone to show, of course, just not this soon. Curious, she stood and walked to answer the door, her full skirts swishing around her feet. Pulling the door open a few inches, she peered out to see Nikoli himself. Arching one auburn brow in question, she pulled the door open wider.

"So, the great lord Nikoli deigns to show himself to the like of me," she bit out, tone harsh and sarcastic. However, her frown melted away as Nikoli just stood there, gazing at her with the oddest expression she'd ever seen. Crossing her arms, she looked away. "So, what do you want?"

Instead of answering, Nikoli walked into the room, green eyes sweeping around the disheveled space before landing on the silver fox that was now simply resting on the bed, eyes focused upon Nikoli in a wary manner. After a moment, the half-breed looked back to Demae, stepping closer. "Did you like my gift?"

"Well, he is lovely," she murmured, glancing at Kurama. "Very well behaved, too. Is he supposed to remind me of you?" she asked before berating herself mentally. She was not supposed to be teasing Nikoli. She was supposed to dislike him, even though she had determined he was not the spawn of evil…which he couldn't be anyway, since Kurama was his father.

Nikoli chose not to answer her question. Instead, he stared, making Demae slightly uncomfortable. Fidgeting, she finally snapped, "What?!"

Smiling, Nikoli said, "You just look so beautiful in that dress. You never used to wear them when I lived in the city. I'm glad to see you in them now." He stepped closer, bending down over Demae, who looked up at him with confused fascination, as he brushed a loose curl from her face. "Come with me, I wish to show you my city."

Taking a deep breath, she stepped back, out of his reach. His presence was disturbing in the way it could make her forget how things were and should be. "I've seen it already," she protested.

"Ah, but you've never been with me to see it. And you can bring your fox, since I had a harness and leash made for him…What is his name, anyway?"

Demae hesitated, mind searching for a name. "Argent," she finally said. "When I was with the others, I heard the word and wondered what it was. Your father informed me that it meant silver in French."

Nodding at her explanation, he held out the objects he held in his hand. "Well, get them on him and we will be on our way."

Taking the harness and leash, she walked towards her bed where Kurama lay. She already knew he would not like being attached to her wrist. However, appearances must be kept up, so she somehow forced the struggling fox into the confining harness, holding the leash in hand as she led him out of the room, following Nikoli.

As they moved silently through Nikoli's castle, Demae pulling the rebellious fox along, she pondered her situation. She was living with someone who thought the bad things he did was right, but who did wonderful things for the people he had decided to call his own. He was very charismatic and charming, making him very hard to resist. It was difficult for her, so she could only imagine how it must be for others. It didn't help that she had grown up with him. In a way, she supposed, he understood her better than anyone except her family. Add that quality with those she had already named and it made Nikoli very alluring and desirable.

By the time she had a chance to escape, would she even want to? It was a troubling thought, one that had her frowning the whole way.

"What's wrong? Don't you enjoy my castle?" Nikoli asked, seeing her frown and mistaking it as dislike for what they had just walked through.

Faking a smile, she reassured him that of course she loved his castle. He seemed happy enough not to notice her smile, for which relieved Demae slightly. But she felt horrible. She hated lying, even if it was to someone who she considered an enemy. Nikoli was an enemy, right? Even now, she wasn't so sure…

Nikoli led her through his city, showed her the sights, things he had helped build. People lined the streets wherever he went. They adored him. Such loyalty…Demae had never seen such a thing. They were blind to his faults…except, to them, he had shown none of his faults. Ah, but Demae had seen them, how he would kill others for something so simple as jealously, how he could torture his own father, who still loved him despite all of this…

However, by the end of there small trip, Demae was becoming lost in the spell of his gaze and the charm of his smile. The day passed in a pleasant blur. Near the evening, she found herself laughing at his jokes as they drunk an after-dinner glass of wine. It was as if nothing had changed, that they were still the inseparable duo of their childhood. Being slightly tipsy from the wine helped with that as well. Some niggling feeling told her that this was wrong, that something wasn't right. But she simply quashed the errant thought. She was content and happy, what could be so wrong about that?

"Dance with me," Nikoli suddenly requested, standing up and extending his hand to Demae.

Giggling, she accepted, setting down her wine and dropping the leash that connected the silver fox to her wrist. She grasped his hand and stumbled unsteadily to her feet, leaning against him to keep her balance. Music had started somewhere, giving the two a beat to dance to. Demae allowed Nikoli to sweep her across the floor, laughing in delight at his graceful movements.

"Promise me you'll stay and become my queen," he murmured in her ear.

"Why would I ever leave?"

"I know you were planning to escape back to your friends."

"Hmm, I had friends? Oh, wait. I did, didn't I?

She frowned in thought, trying to remember. But her mind was too fuzzy, affected by the alcohol. "If I can't remember, were they ever that important?" she asked.

Nikoli smiled. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Now, I think you have had enough wine. I shall escort you back to your room."

So, with Demae leaning on his arm and Kurama's leash once again in her hand, Nikoli set off for her room. Once she was there, he ordered her maids to put her to bed and to have some pain reliever handy in the morning, since Demae was sure to have a hangover. After one last look at her, he left, pleased. It seemed she wasn't going to leave, after all.

But right before he exited Demae's room, he paused, another thought coming to him. What if he could bind himself to her? Then she could never leave. Grin widening, he turned around, shooing off the maids who were just now getting their mistress ready for bed.

"Demae," he said softly, causing her to turn and look at him, head tilted to the side. He could see that the wine was still affecting her strongly. All the more better to do this.

He stepped closer until Demae was forced to crane her neck upwards to look at him in the eye. Then, without saying another thing, he lowered his head to capture Demae's lips with his own, beginning his spell all the while. A low growl began, but he ignored it, concentrating on how sweet Demae tasted and his binding spell. And suddenly, he felt a sharp pain coming from his rear. He snapped his head back, the spell shattering as he lost concentration. Swinging around, he caught the eyes of Demae's little fox, who Nikoli knew to be Kurama. However, when he met the creature's eyes, all he saw was protectiveness for his mistress, nothing else.

Sighing, he looked back at Demae, who was looking rather dazed and touching her lips as if she couldn't believe what had just happened. "Go to bed. I'll see you on the morrow."

And with that, he left. The servants descended upon Demae at once, ushering to bed and bringing her 'Argent.' As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out, sleeping off her alcohol and the excitement of the evening.

In the morning, Demae wasn't quite so blissfully happy.

"Where is that bastard! I'll kill him if he comes anywhere near me!"

Nursing a pounding head, Demae quit yelling. The pain wasn't worth it, and it seemed that Nikoli had made himself scarce, so he couldn't hear her yelling anyway. Once again she tried to bring up memories of the night before, but everything seemed so fuzzy and out of focus. One thing she did remember, however, was that kiss, which caused a blush to rise to her face for the umpteenth time that morning. Why had he kissed her? Did he really love her, as he so proclaimed all those months ago? It was a disquieting thought.

Suddenly, her peace was disturbed as her doors were floor open and then quickly shut. All Demae could do was blink at the intruder.

Nikoli's chest heaved as he slid to the floor, sprawling as he tried to catch his breath. His green eyes darted around the room before landing on Demae.

"You have to help me!" he cried, a wild look in his eyes as he scrambled towards her.

Now Demae was quite confused. What was going on here?

"It's Alenial!" he gasped out. "He has been controlling me. That's why I haven't been myself. I didn't want to do those awful things!"

Nikoli was almost sobbing now, which alarmed Demae. Nikoli never cried. Ever. Something was seriously wrong. But if it were true, the thing with Alenial, then it meant Nikoli wasn't the dangerous one after all. But, how could she be sure? After a moment, she remembered.

"Where are the markings?"

Those who were being controlled always carried a certain set of marks that sort of branded the person, in a way, allowing another to control their every thought and action.

With even hesitating, Nikoli tugged off his shirt, showing her the numerous marks on his back that formed a certain pattern. With a relieved sigh, Demae sagged back in her seat. Well, at least this meant that she no longer had to be confused about Nikoli.

"So, what do can I do to help?"

"I have to become stronger so that I can fight him. It is the only way I can free myself from this spell."

Nodding, Demae stood. "Ok, tell me what to do."

Nikoli quickly explained the spell. He would do most of the work, but she would have to draw the diagram. When he handed her the special ink, she began to feel uneasy. This 'ink' looked a lot like human blood. However, she ignored it. That couldn't be right.

Drawing out the symbol around Nikoli, Demae shut out everything so she could concentrate. Once she was done, she stepped back. She tilted her head, realizing she had drawn a giant star with three circles around it, varies symbols in between each line. She thought it looked familiar in a way, but she wasn't quite sure how. Still thinking about it, she watched as Nikoli began chanting. The language he spoke made the hairs rise up on the back of her neck. Something was not right, not at all.

As Demae watched, a malevolent figure seemed to form behind Nikoli, transparent black wings spread out behind it. Then, it started to merge with Nikoli, who had thrown his arms wide, as if in acceptance. Stark evil rose from that thing that was merging with him, and Demae had to stop it. Crying out, she ran forward, smudging the symbol with her feet. There was a bright flash, and the two of them were knocked out.

When Demae came to, she gasped, shuddering. She could feel something evil within her, borrowing into her soul. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Looking over at Nikoli, who was still sprawled out on the floor unconscious, Demae noticed one thing. He had a single, black wing covered in feathers sprouting from his left shoulder. But why only one? Suddenly, Demae knew why. Looking over her shoulder, she groaned as she saw an identical one coming from her right shoulder. This wasn't good at all. She needed to get away.

As quickly as she could, she tiptoed over towards Kurama, who had his hackles raised at her approach.

"It's just me. I'm not evil. Please, we have to go!" she whispered fiercely, trying to grab the fox, who continued to dart out of her reach. "Come on, Kurama! I'm Demae, remember?"

Either Kurama recognized her a little, or her pleading voice got to him, because he eventually let Demae pick him up. Then with one more look at Nikoli, she ran from the room, going as quietly as she could. There would be guards somewhere, she knew, who would wonder why she was out alone so early and in her nightgown. The black wing wouldn't help much either. Well, she'd get to it later, when she was confronted.

That moment came sooner than she thought. Just as she entered the courtyard of the castle, guards moved to block the exit and Alenial himself walked out. Demae took a step back warily as Kurama growled in her arms. But there was no where to go.

"Well, well," he murmured, stepping closer. "It seems that you interrupted Master Nikoli's spell. Well, once he wakes up and comes down, that can be remedied. In fact, here he comes now."

Demae whipped around, training her eyes on Alenial's line of sight. Mouth open in surprise, she watched as Nikoli descended from the window of her room and floated down to the courtyard. His eyes were fixed on Demae with a look that was a mix of disappointment and concern.

"I wish you hadn't done that. You aren't meant to carry that kind of power. I don't want you tainted, as you undoubtedly will become if I don't remove it from you. Come here and let me absorb it, and then you'll be fine and we can go back in. But first…give me that fox."

While Demae had been turned around, the guards had crept closer to her so that when Nikoli spoke, they grabbed her from behind so that she would drop Kurama. Nikoli snatched him up by the silver scruff of his neck and sneered.

"You have been enough trouble, and your purpose has been served," he said, grinning as he removed the dagger from his belt.

Demae struggled, but couldn't get away from the guard which held her, being physically too weak. Her eyes were wide as she watched the dagger come ever closer to the struggling fox. She had to stop it! She had to.

"No. No! NO! STOP!" she suddenly cried out, tears streaming down her face at the thought of Kurama finally meeting his end.

Sobbing, she waited for Nikoli's jubilant cry, but it never came. Sniffing, she opened her eyes to see that everyone had frozen. Eyes now wide, she looked around. No one was moving. Not caring how this had occurred, she managed to wriggle free of the guard's stiff hold and moved towards Nikoli. As soon as she touched Kurama, he sprang into life, struggling once more.

"Calm down!" she whispered fiercely. "I'll get you out, just hold still."

He seemed to understand her, since he held perfectly still as she worked his ruff from Nikoli's grip. Demae was sure that it hurt Kurama, but the fox never uttered a yip. Once she finally had him free, she ran as quickly as she could. She could feel herself tiring, so she was sure this phenomenon had been caused by her. This meant she only had a limited time to escape from this city.

So she ran and ran, ignoring the stitch in her side or how her lungs ached, only stopping when she reached the wall. The gate was up, baring her only way out. Chewing ob her lip, she looked around. She didn't think she could open it, so what could she do? Remembering Nikoli's little stunt, she closed her eyes and imagined herself flying up and moving over the wall. Cracking her eyes open, she was pleased to see that she was moving up, albeit in a wobbly, unfocused way. But it was working. She was able to keep up her concentration until she was about six feet above the ground on the other side, falling to the ground. She landed funny, twisting her ankle, but it didn't matter; she could see the others. She hobbled forward, gasping, until she reached the campsite. Then, she simply collapsed, Kurama held tightly in her arms.


	12. Lies and Crooked Wings

New chapter. Finally. Actually, most of it has been done for a while, though I didn't quite know how to get that one more page I wanted. But its there, now, and complete. So yay. I'm happy.

Oh, one thing, sorry for all the italics near the bottom. Just a dialogue with almost no actions. So yeah...lots of slanty letters to squint at.

* * *

A loud screech echoed through the village, promising doom on anyone within hearing distance for what they were ignoring. Bishquet, one of the people here the most affected, flattened her ears against her skull since the sound grated against her ears. She was standing just outside one of the few buildings that were on the ground, where the loud scream had come from, keeping guard and to warn others off. Demae was not herself and it had been discovered she'd attack anyone who came near.

Everyone had been surprised when Demae had suddenly appeared from no where in their camp. However, Hiei had detected the activity beyond the wall and quickly got them all moving back to Kalindos. When they had arrived, there had been a great stirring of activity as people came out to help, many exclaiming over the single feathered wing Demae now sported. Everyone wanted to know what had happened, but out of the two who Had been in the city, one was unconscious and the other wouldn't respond to the mental prodding of Hiei and simply stared at him with his golden eyes, as if he were any other fox. So they had placed Demae in a bed and left Kurama well enough alone for the time being.

Hearing the screech again, Bish winced, rubbing at her bandaged arm. It was still healing, even after two days. Yes…she had been the one who had discovered Demae wasn't quite right.

She had gone into the girl's room to tend to her and just watch her when she realized Demae's eyes were open…and that they were slowly fading from blue to violet, growing redder with time. A sinister hiss was the only clue given before the girl was on the demon, slashing at her with sharp claws that had suddenly grown from her hand. Bish managed to subdue the girl, and her shout had brought help. They managed to get Demae from the tree house and down to the ground where they could lock her up in a stable building. Demae had been in there two days without food or water, since no one could get close enough to give her anything, not that Bish believed she'd eat or drink what was given.

A hand fell on her shoulder, shocking the demon to attention. Snarling, she whirled around, ready to strike, only to see the laughing face of Devir, which made her smile goofily in return as she relaxed. She grinned up at her lover, brushing his dark brown hair away from his eyes.

"My watch is over already?" she asked him.

"Yes, go get some sleep. I know you're tired."

Nodding, she waved farewell to Devir and headed to her room, yawning. The sun was beginning to sink, meaning it was still sort of early, but Bish didn't really care. She climbed up the high ladder with nimble grace and stumbled into her room, ignoring the ball of silver fur curled up against her pillow. Everyone had opted that Kurama remain with her, since they were both of the kitsune persuasion, so Bish was used to the fox being there. She didn't look at him twice as she hit the bed and fell asleep.

It was maybe two in the morning when Bish felt a hand shaking her shoulder. Mumbling, she turned over, but the shaking only continued. Peering up balefully through her sleep-frizzed hair, she spied a figure with long hair sitting beside her. She snapped fully to attention, eyes widening as she spotted Kurama in tattered clothing, sitting on her bed.

"You're back!" she exclaimed, sitting up.

"Where is Demae? My memories are fragmented and unfocused, but I remember some of the time she and I were prisoners," he said urgently, ignoring her exclamation.

Bish parted her lips to reply when a screech ripped apart the early morning silence, causing her expression to turn grim. "There's your answer."

"It's worse than I thought. Take me to her."

Bish bounded out of her bed as the man stood and turned to leave. "Wait! You can't go in with her. She's not herself, she doesn't recognize anyone. Not even Hiei can control her completely."

Kurama shrugged as he padded barefoot to the ladder, where he climbed down. He said nothing during the climb, instead waiting until they were both on the ground. "She won't hurt me. We forged a kind of…bond. I believe I can bring Demae back to the forefront of her mind to keep this…thing under control."

"Well, alright, but just be careful, ok?"

At Kurama's nod, she hurriedly leapt from the balcony, ignoring the ladder to land lightly on the ground. There was no sound to indicate that Kurama had followed, though when Bish looked over her shoulder he was right behind her. She hurried forward until she reached Devir, who looked at her in surprise.

"Why are you back so soon?" he asked. However, his question was answered as soon as he saw Kurama. "Oh, he wants to see her?" At Bish's nod, he frowned before looking at the other kitsune. "I wouldn't advise it, Kurama. She's not in the right state of mind."

"Let me through anyway."

Devir's frown deepened, but he said nothing else. "Alright, go in. She's chained up, but she can still lunge, so be careful."

Nodding at the Urameshi's warning, Kurama moved past, sliding open the bolt before opening the door and closing it behind himself. He heard the bolt slide shut as Devir locked it, but he paid no attention to it, having eyes only for the huddled figure in the corner.

Demae was a mess. Her auburn hair was in numerous tangles and mats, shadowing baleful red eyes that bore obvious madness and malice within them. Her cheeks were hollow and pale, as if the force that was residing in her body was draining her life away to fuel it. A hiss emerged from lips bloody with being bitten and chains rattled as she clenched talon-tipped hands. That drew his attention to her bloody wrists and ankles where the manacles were chafing at her delicate skin.

As he drew closer, she suddenly lunged at him, teeth barred. "I WILL KILL YOU ALL!" she screeched, causing Kurama to wince at the volume and pitch of Demae's voice.

"Demae," he began, but broke off as a sinister chuckling reached his ears.

"Sorry, Demae is no longer in. Wish to take a message?" she asked, in a parody of Demae's real voice.

"Then to whom am I speaking?"

A finger waggled as the creature who had once been Demae grinned. "Oh no, do you think I will give up my name so easily? I wasn't born yesterday, just the day before," she quipped.

"Oh yes, quite the comedian you are."

"I'm glad you noticed."

The demon (that's what Kurama titled her in his mind) settled down, the intent to attack gone for the moment as she watched Kurama, the malice in her red eyes fading into amusement, though the madness was still present.

"None of the others even tried to talk to me. They only pleaded to have their precious Demae back," she said, tone disgusted as she made a face. "But you…you decided to talk to me, personally. Why?"

"I want Demae back, plain and simple. I'd hoped to find out what it will take for your consent."

The demon eyed him slightly with renewed interest. "You wish to bargain with me?"

Kurama didn't like her sudden smirk, but proceeded. "Yes, I do."

"Fine then, little fox. You want Demae back, you say. Well, here is my bargain for you. Demae can come back. But when she falls into slumber, I will come out and play. But no bonds will you place on me, or our deal shall be broken."

"Only if you swear on your true name to do no harm to those we deem friend," he countered, knowing a demon was bound by their word.

A scowl formed on the demon's face, but she sighed. "Fine, fine."

"Say it." He wanted to make sure she couldn't wriggle out of this.

"I swear on my true name to harm no one deemed friend, only those deemed enemy," she snapped out, narrowing her eyes at him.

Smiling slightly, he stood. "I will return in the morning for Demae to see if you've kept your word."

The demon said not another word as Kurama left, pondering instead the deal she had just made.

---

As promised, Kurama returned at sunrise, looking far more presentable than he had the night before. Bish and the others were crowded around the doorway, highly skeptical of what Kurama had told them after he had emerged. However, it seemed he was right. Sitting on the floor, staring around her in a bewildered manner, was the very human Demae, though she still had that wing.

"Kurama?" she asked in a small voice, her blue eyes scrunched up in a terrified manner.

She obviously had no idea of what was going on, or why she was chained up. Sighing, he knelt and pulled her into a quick hug before backing off.

"Don't worry, the demon is gone for now."

"Velna," she said suddenly, surprising Kurama.

"What?"

"The demon said to call her Velna."

Kurama chuckled slightly at that. "How clever. Velna means 'devil' in Latvian. Very appropriate, I suppose, given the situation."

Saying nothing else, he quickly produced a key and unlocked Demae's manacles. He scowled slightly at the wounds on her wrists and ankles, but said nothing else as he helped the shaky girl to her feet. Once they were out in the sunlight, Demae turned her haunted eyes to the sky and took a deep, relaxing breath before looking back at Kurama.

"She said she'd be back tonight," she said in an obvious probe for information.

"Yes, that is the deal we made. When you sleep, she will emerge. Truthfully, it has nothing to do with day or night."

"So, I have a devil stuck in my head?"

_Why yes, yes you do._

Demae's eyes widened at the sudden, purring voice. Noticing the girl's reaction, Kurama grew concerned.

"What is it?"

"I can hear her…in my head."

The fox sighed. "Well, that is to be expected. You do have a separate entity now residing within you. I don't think she means harm, especially not to you since for the moment you are her host, so I don't think there is anything that will negatively affect you."

"Yeah, except for the whole 'being possessed' thing," she bit out.

"Well, there is that," he admitted. "Let's forget it for now. I think our first priority is to get you food and water, and then a bath." At her offended expression, he added, "Well, you do kind of need it," which was accompanied by a small smirk as Demae smacked his arm.

Yes…it was good to be back.

However, when all was said and done, she still had another sentient being within her, whose actions were doubtfully pure. So, to solve this, Demae probed for information while she was taking her very much needed shower.

_So, you name yourself a demon, right?_ she asked.

_Well,_ Velna drawled, _I suppose so. However, I'm not a demon in the sense you now think of. I am not from Makai, nor have I ever been there. Rather, I'm from a far deeper level, one most people never see alive, though many see dead._

_Well, then you're evil?_

_You'd do well to stop seeing everything in such black and white terms, Demae. I already know you have begun thinking of Nikoli in shades of grey. Why not other things as well? I am this way because I was made to be this way. I act as I was taught. Does that make me evil?_

_But when you do wrong, you know that you do wrong. And you do it anyway. How can that be anything but evil?_ Demae was beginning to come slightly confused about the whole thing.

There was a small sigh from Velna. _I cannot expect you to understand, you who are human. I do not think, nor do I act, like a human. My thought process would be totally alien to your own. However, as we accustom ourselves to living with each other, you will gain a shadow of understanding, just like I will of you. _

_When I am asleep, will I be able to speak to you as you are to me?_

_Yes, but don't think that means you'll be able to banish me at any point if I begin to get a bit rowdy. Your body must wake up normally for you to regain control of it._

_Well, that's a cruel thought if I ever heard one._

Velna gave a harsh chuckle. _That was nowhere near cruel, child. Your young human mind could not begin to understand what cruelty is._

_You've never been sorry for anything you've done, have you?_

_Demae, if I had a dollar for every time I repented for a sin, yet committed the same crime over again, I'd be on top of the world. (1)_

And with that and a dark laugh, Velna clamed up and would say not a word more. Realizing from the state her fingers and toes were in, Demae realized she'd been in the shower for far too long and hopped out, dressing herself in clean clothes before leaving the bathroom.

Someone was out there waiting for her, which was unsurprising to Demae. What was surprising, however, was the fact it was Bishquet who waited for her, rather than Kurama.

"Well, minion, you miss me?" the kitsune asked with a saucy smirk on her lips.

Smile watery, Demae grinned. "Yeah, I did," she got out as she fell into her friend's arms, telling her the whole tale without the demoness even having to ask. When she was done talking, the girl felt purged and clean. Bish had reassured her, telling her that nothing she did was wrong; she had only been under Nikoli's influence.

Now, Demae only felt exhausted and her eyelids began to flutter close against her own wishes. And once they had stopped fluttering, they shot open again, revealing red orbs where blue had been before. For the first time in centuries, Velna was free.

* * *

(1) This was a line taken from God Help Me by Emilie Autumn, though the wording was slightly changed. 


End file.
